The Uncrowned Kings' Raging Goddess
by djmuse5297
Summary: The only girl in an all-boys group, Karadai Kamiko's role within the Uncrowned Kings stayed relatively unknown, but despite that, her skills are revered greatly by her team, especially the Generation of Miracles. Standing on equal grounds with the Generation of Miracles' Akashi Seijuro, one of the two basketball frontiers in Japan.
1. Chapter 1

_Hanzo Junior High Basketball Team_

_As there are always be two sides of the same coin, another group of 5 basketball geniuses, like the Generation of Miracles, are known as the Uncrowned Kings or the Crownless Generals. They acknowledge each other's potential and capability to the point that if they were born in a different era, they would have held the title of the Generation of Miracles._

_At the very start of middle school, there is one certain sixth player concerning the Uncrowned Kings on the sudden bloom, whose skills are labeled god-like by many and has been greatly revered and recognized by the Uncrowned Kings and the Generation of Miracles. To that, she was bestowed upon many names but the title as the 'Kyodaina Megami' or the 'Monstrous Goddess' and 'Araarashī Kemono' or the 'Untamed Beast' are two names that greatly distinguished her throughout the middle schools, even high schools._

_Instead of two, it all came down to one new name: she was later called the 'Megami reijingu' or the 'Raging Goddess.'_

_However, she disappeared right after the one point difference between Teiko Juniour High and Hanzo Junior High before graduation._

_Little is known about the said girl…_

_She goes by the name of Karadai Kamiko._

* * *

><p>It was a bright first morning—the first day as freshman in a new high school. A certain sky-bluenette was sprinting on her way to towards her new school, with a sling bag hanging across her upper body as it bumps against her hip at her every step. Her dark school sweater was tied rather loosely around her waist. Almost tripping as she briskly walked across the street, completely unaware that the pedestrian signal was bright red and the cars had to break just shy away from the said girl as she was crossing, her attention solely on both hands on her undone pale green tie.<p>

"When I'll see _that_ guy, I'm seriously blaming _him_ for keeping me up the whole night just to talk," the sky-bluenette mumbled under her breath as she finally tied her tie right and turned her heel to a corner, finally the new school in view. She stopped just in front of the gates as the students—in pairs or groups—walked in, chatting and laughing. Looking up, a smile was found playing across her lips as she raised her hand up to shield her eyes from the bright rays of the morning sun that was shining from the roof top of the school.

"Seirin High School, huh…" she mused to herself as she finally stepped inside the gates, oblivious of the star struck faces of the surrounding students, especially from the male students.

* * *

><p>"Damn, I didn't expect for Kamiko-chan attend this school when the rest of the prodigies went for well-known schools, though her role was unknown during the middle school years," Koganei Shinji commented as he stepped out of the gym with the other juniours, the second years, even as their coach, Aida Riko, locked up the gym behind them. "No wonder her title as the '<em>Megami reijingu' <em>isn't only for decoration, after all."

The basketball team's captain, Hyuuga Junpei, pushed the glasses that he was wearing up his nose. "I've heard rumours of an O-5 player of Hanzo Junior High when I was still in middle school, but I didn't think it was all true," he spoke.

"O-5? As in the literal letter 'O' then dash number five? Is that even allowed in jerseys?" Koganei thought out loud.

"Possibly. It does stand out from any jersey indication right? It's easier to remember," Izuki answered his thought, looking at Hyuuga who was thinking.

It's not everyday that a school gets to take in a very talented athlete from middle schools nationwide, especially when it is either of the Uncrowned Kings or the Generation of Miracles.

Then Hyuuga grinned.

"With Kagami and her in our team, I have a feeling that it would be really interesting in the coming matches."

* * *

><p>That day was the first official practice of Seirin High's basketball club.<p>

The said 'practice' held by Riko after the recruitment drive on the first day of the new school year didn't really count, as it is more like an ice-breaker kind of thing when the second years and freshmen get to know each other, and also for the student coach to see the players' capability and potential.

As Riko looked for the missing new recruit among the interested freshmen, she flinched ever so slightly at the screeching sound of shoes sliding the cemented floor, causing every pair of eyes present to look at the gym's entrance, towards a girl with light blue layered hair that reaches almost the middle of her back who leaned against the sliding door frame, panting. The girl's head was hanging low to catch her breath.

The short brunette noticed that the sky-bluenette was wearing a prescribed female school blouse but… she partnered it with the male school pants instead of a school skirt that should have been together with the said blouse, causing the short brunette to raise a brow at this. As far as she knew about this school, even semi-cross dressing is prohibited. How was the girl able to pass by the guards by the gates? _'She's not… a tomboy, is she?'_

"A-Ano," The girl paused again to catch her breath and straightened her back to face them, no sweat, indicating that she ran only a small amount of waste of energy to get to school. "I'm sorry for being late. I'm Karadai Kamiko." She then walked towards their direction, running her slender fingers through her messy hair, fixing it into a high pony tail.

Riko stared at the young girl, looking at Hyuuga who only nodded, and looked back at the girl.

"This is the Uncrowned Kings' '_Megami reijingu'_?" As Riko's vision changes into stat mode, analyzing the girl's body potential and it was far from what she would have expected.

_"__W-What? I can't see much through her clothing but… her stats are so dynamically high; higher than Kagami's body stats!"_ She thought, blinking in shock and took a small step crossed her arms, observing the girl, who was undeniably taller than her, much to her dismay. _"She's not part of Uncrowned Kings for nothing, eh?"_

Hanzo Junior High's Uncrowned Kings had quite a reputation, like Teiko's Generation of Miracles.

They've first started out as a normal middle school basketball team three years ago, playing like any other middle schools, though securing the top spot during their first National championships. After that, going against them only seemed to get rougher. Second year in middle school had them little by little flattening every single opponent that went against them, crushing their will to play, with Hanzo getting double or yet triple the amount of points that the opposing team had secured against them. By the time third year turned over, there isn't a single middle school team out there that had the guts to face them or even dream of getting the top spot at the Nationals-except where and when the Generation of Miracles comes in and beats them, landing at the top with the Uncrowned Kings sliding down the 2nd place.

The same question in every one's mind when the news of the Hanzo Junior High School Bastketball team's downfall in the third year spread like wild fire across the country, men and women alike, enthusiasts and players:

_What really happened back in the previous Nationals?_

Thus, when the fit-looking and (pretty) girl had introduced herself as Karadai Kamiko, Riko had her suspicions. How can the only girl be part of the infamous Uncrowned Kings – who were once called the _Mohei no Kotei_ or the 'Undefeated Emperors'—be accountable for Hanzo securing two straight victories at the Nationals?

In that day's practice, they finally learned why as Riko decided to challenge the freshmen against the second years in a mock match. As the match progressed, they found out why Kamiko, a girl, who surprisingly was a good 7 inches taller than their coach, is allowed to join an all-boys team, and is also known as the _Megami reijingu_ of the Uncrowned Kings.

"From the start, Miko-chan is a quick foot," Riko crossed her arms as she continues to quietly observe the mock match between the juniours and the freshmen with Izuki, taking note of Kamiko's play as with the ball in hand, surprising Hyuuga with a fake leap, eventually shooting at the basket in a swift with an astonishingly well-kept elegance. "Not most basketball players, if not all, can take a shot like she did." Rough yet polished; edgy yet smooth; cautious yet swift— her play is deadly—so much like a demon. "I'm sure she hasn't gone even half of 100% even, but everything else, this girl should **_never_** be taken for granted." The lady coach concluded shortly.

Though her presence is as noticeable, she can be tricky to spot. Most people may regard to that as a phantom-like shift, but it's only because she can move swiftly—almost like the speed of light and sound, but faster. No one knows what's really coming to them and before long, they can only feel a surge of wind in front of them until it was too late.

"Swift pace… phantom-like speed… that looks oddly familiar…" Izuki muttered as he wrapped his hands behind his head.

"Well…" The student coach started. "There are rumors of a Phantom Queen back in middle school. There's no doubt that she's it." _'Before she was dubbed as the Raging Goddess.'_

Just in a nick of time, the lady coach stops the match abruptly, causing the players to screech to a halt, panting heavily on their knees. The shorter girl then called it a day, telling them to go rest as she added that Kamiko must stay put to have a word with her.

"But is it legal for a girl to join an all-boys club like the basketball team?" Shun Izuki questioned. "Let alone involve in matches?"

"About that, I had already checked that rule up after finding out that Miko-chan had joined our basketball team," Riko enlightened, her eyes watching the boys sit on the benches a while after slipping the keys into her pocket. "There is no rule that prohibits girls from playing with the boys. Most of them just never do, preferring to cheer the boys from the bleaches."

"Ah, I see…" Hyuuga sighed a bit and nodded. "But she's… unusual, isn't she? Different from other girls at all."

Kamiko had walked into the changing room after having a word with Riko after training that day, panicking the rest of the boys who were in various states of stripping off at that time, and all of them tried to cover themselves up. Kamiko sighed at the sight, shaking her head lightly, simply taking out her school uniform from her locker and walked back out, leaving all of the boys gawking at her like idiots.

"Probably used to walking into a locker room with her former teammates changing by now. Ah well, things are going to get fascinating," Izuki smiled at the thought.

* * *

><p>In Maji's, the fast food outlet that a certain redhead brute-looking Seirin High student, Kagami Taiga, regularly hangs out in after basketball practice, he winded up at Kamiko's table without even realizing it, hence, causing him to swallow his burger the wrong way.<p>

"You gave me a scare! Where'd you come from?" Kagami demanded. "And why are you here?"

The girl only stared at him with her honey-glazed eyes for a few moments and answered."I've been here right before you did," she replied, holding up a disposable cup in hand. "And I love this place's vanilla milkshakes."

"Leave me alone."

"Is simply seating here against the law?" Kamiko blankly stared at him as she countered, causing Kagami to twitch.

"If someone sees us here, they'll assume that we're friends!" Kagami whispered in a hiss, almost as if afraid that someone from their school would overhear him and recognize them.

"This is where I usually hang out." _With certain people back in the middle school days. _She sighed at the thought as she stared at the window, sipping on her vanilla milkshake.

Kagami raised his hands in surrender and sighed. Wordlessly, he picked out a burger from his pile that he had and threw one over to Kamiko, who caught it with one hand without even looking away from the window. "I don't really accept girls who are basketball players," he mumbled. _Though a certain basketball teacher back in America was a woman. _ "But you've earned my respect and my burger." He grinned. "Oh and, for a weak-looking girl, you're fit, but then again, you need to eat more if you wished to grow stronger."

Kamiko glanced at Kagami without moving her head that faced the window, and gave a small smile, the very first expression change that Kagami had seen from the dwarfette, causing him to blink as he was taken aback at how much just one smile can change her facial appearance.

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>The rest of their meal went by in comfortable silence, and after Kagami finished his share of burgers that unsurprisingly didn't take long as he stuffed his mouth like a squirrel, the two left, with him offering to walk Kamiko home.<p>

The tall redhead might look like a brute, and he might be named "Taiga" after a tiger, but he was still brought up properly with the right values and conduct infused in him since he was younger. He isn't going to pass up letting a girl walk home alone this late at night.

_What if there might be thieves? Or worse yet, rapists?_

He shook those thoughts away as he walked with her, aware as they turn right into a small street, dimly lighted by a street lamp.

"Kagami, this isn't necessary, but if you insist…" Kamiko said, side-glancing at him with a neutral expression and somehow it annoyed him.

_'__Can't she show any more expressions like other girls do?'_ He thought.

Along the walk home, the silence was bearable, but Kagami couldn't help but break it with the thought that has been bugging him for a while now. "Just how strong are the Generation of Miracles and the Uncrowned Kings?" He faces her sideways while walking. "If I played against them now, how would I do?"

The sky-bluenette did not answer immediately as she looked at him then back at the road, sipping her drink.

"Crushed in a blink of an eye," Kamiko answered and Kagami twitched and groaned.

"Do you have to be so blunt about everything?"

"Each of the ten prodigies had gone to play for their own schools. One of those schools will secure the top without any doubt." She added, ignoring his counter completely.

Kagami grinned like a maniac and laughed. "That's about it," he laughed still. "That's exactly the thing that lights up a fire in me." He stopped, causing Kamiko to stop as well to look at the redhead.

"I've decided to crush them all and become the best player in Japan!"

Kamiko only looked at him funny, still sipping from her leftover vanilla milkshake with a straw. "I don't think that's likely," she told Kagami, the right side of her lip quirked down as she walked passed him, causing him to gape at the skyblue crown.

"O-Oi!" Kagami shouted, upset at her lack of trust in his ability.

Kamiko stopped at her tracks again and sighed, glancing at the few cars passing by the street. "With your current abilities alone, you can't win against them, but if you have something, like a hidden talent, I wouldn't really know." She turned to look at him. "Based from your play earlier today, you wouldn't have reached their feet. Like I said, you'll be crushed in an instant at your current level."

The lights of a few passing cars lit her exposed side of face, causing it to illuminate a certain glow especially in her eyes. Kagami can only blink at the sight of it.

"I can sense something, hidden inside you. It has long been there, but it needs you to develop it," She shook her head slightly. "I can guide you, but you must be the one to find the answer yourself. That's how I'll make you the best player in Japan."

Kagami looked surprised for a moment before he grinned wide. "And the little girl's talking," he grinned even more. "Do whatever you want."

Kamiko nodded with a small smile. "I'll do my best."

* * *

><p>She reached home, bidding farewell to her fellow redhead teammate, locking the door of her apartment. Her studio-type apartment was simple and tidy, fit for two people at the most. Living here since the 2nd year of middle school, it wasn't really as lonely as she thought it would be, though she doesn't have visitors all the time. Almost all the time in middle school, Reo and Kotaro would drop by, willingly or even against her will, but it was fine most of the time. Out of all of her teammates, she's closer with Reo and Kotaro, even Teppei, though aside from Reo and Kotaro, she was also closest to him, making her his kouhai.<p>

Eikichi? Well, both of them couldn't stand each other under one roof, especially breathing the same air, but they were as civilized only when it's in court.

Same goes with her former sadist of a teammate.

Come to think of it, she hasn't had one visitor ever since _that _and somehow it didn't really bother her even a bit.

Taking her shoes off to set it by the shoe rack, she walked into the kitchen to fix herself some tea, dropping her bag on the open chair. Leaving the kettle to heat, she decided to take a shower to freshen up, suddenly feeling sweaty all over. Stepping into the bathroom in her room, she turns on the shower, adjusting its temperature to warm as she takes off her clothes.

20 minutes had passed and she finally stepped out of the shower, already in her matching cloud pajamas with a peach towel hanging loosely over her damp hair. As she massages her hair from its roots to their tips, the sky-bluenette stood by her half-opened window then, sensing a chilly breeze that just blew gently, cooling her room. She shivered just slight as she leaned against her table to reach for her window and pulled it down to close it.

Just as she was about to turn on her iPod to jam with her music in order to lessen the loneliness that she was feeling at the moment, her cell-phone rang. Quirking a brow leaving her towel still hanging on her head, she picked up her cell-phone only to see the display screen of 'Momoi Satsuki' flashing on the LCD screen.

_'__I wonder why she's calling…' _She thought and sighed before answering the call, "What is it, Satsuki?"

"_Ueeehhhh! Miko-chan! Is that how you answer your soon-to-be sister-in-law?!"_ Her childhood friend squealed, sounding almost like she's whining.

"Uh uh, keep dreaming," she mumbled doubtfully. "It's weird for you to call me this late at night. Shoot."

Teiko's former basketball manager and a girl best friend made through Akashi Seijuro, Momoi Satsuki. She specializes in gathering data and analyzing their skills to the point when she can narrow down the nearly accurate results during the match. Not that she knows how to play the sport, but she loves it nonetheless. She's the mastermind behind every victory of Teiko, especially behind the victory that crushed the Uncrowned Kings to bits and pieces at the final year.

_"__How rude, Miko-chan! You blessed our relationship!"_ Momoi whined even more, sniffing.

She nearly groaned at that alone, sitting on the edge of her bed, her sitting position on slight crouch position, frowning.

Despite the fact they're half-siblings, Kuroko Tetsuya enrolled at Teiko Junior High while she enrolled at Hanzo. A few common things about the both of them were their skyblue crowns, physical built (though she is taller than him now than in middle school), and intelligence. That's when and where he met Momoi.

To put it simple terms, he wasn't as expressive and always sports an emotionless face, like _always_—but well, Momoi somehow was okay with it and it went from there. The girl, as she just sat there on her bed, had not much recollection of memories about Tetsuya and Momoi during that time, but she wouldn't want to push it for further details.

She doesn't really care about other people's business and would not rather stick her nose into it.

"Anyways, why are you calling? Is there something wrong?"

The line was deadly silent, leaving her to think that the pinknette girl might have hanged up on her, but then there was a bit shuffling over the line so she thought the caller was still there, thinking her thoughts through carefully.

_"__Midorin, Mu-kun and others, most especially, Dai-chan is worried sick, Miko-chan, and they've been wondering how you were, especially… well… he… uh… you know…"_

Even before she trailed off, the sky-bluenette unknowingly gripped her phone rather tightly, shaking a little.

_'__They are not at fault…' _She thought, running her free hand through her hair, messily combing her hair in the process. _ 'It has always been mine, no matter how much I want to put the blame in their shoulders.'_

"Ah," the sky-bluenette sighed as her honey-glazed eyes wandered aimlessly on her bedroom walls until a picture caught her attention; it was her and Akashi, topping first place in an essay competition back in grade school. She noted Akashi's neutral expression back then was as the same as today while she herself was grinning like an idiot as their picture was taken.

"I'm sorry for making you all worry. I've been fine, recovering as quickly as possible." She then looked at the picture frame next to the 1st grade picture.

_"__I'm so happy to hear you're recovering fast. Those guys are more worried than I was, surprisingly. I thought they were cold-hearted idiots since first year, most especially Aka-kun. You do know that they all like you, as in like-like more than friends, right?" _Pause. _"Well, I couldn't say the same with Midorin, Mu-kun and Aka-kun, but still... oh even Dai-chan! He likes you too, despite being in denial! He mentioned about liking a girl in grade school once, having a skyblue hair and I knew it was you! Oh my jelly! I'm so envious! Wait… there's Tetsu-kun…"_

"Shinta-kun will never like me in a romantic way but we respect each other deeply," the sky-bluenette smiled at the phone. "Gosh, he's a tsundere and he treasures Oha Asa Horoscopes more than girls." To that, she earned a giggle from the pinknette. "Atsu-kun is a giant bear and he loves sweets more than girls." Pause. "Ryota… eh… he has his own fan girls to deal with. We would never know if he'll be able to date in that state."

_"__They'll never date for as long as they have those things and basketball, huh?"_

"Got that right."

_"__But you know, Miko-chan… despite his fan girls, his eyes are already dead set on you since… when was that? Ah! First year in middle school! Mou~! I'm jealous all the more! I don't even know how you can't see something that's already in front of you this whole time! Guys flock to you while I get stomped over!"_

The sky-bluenette had a lot of male admirers since grade school and it's supposed to be normal. Suitors then when she entered middle school and to be honest, even Momoi, too. Momoi, however, has Tetsuya now, but it somehow didn't lessen her own flock of admirers, too.

The fact that Kamiko rejected every single one of them (without really rejecting them) was not because she hates the male species. Well, she has no problems with academics and extra-curriculars, but then, her reasons are unclear until now.

When it comes to words such as 'like' and 'love', she is almost clueless.

Despite that, she still has male admirers even as she's in high school now.

_"__But I do wonder about Aka-kun though. I mean, he acts differently around you. Yeah, he still has his absolute, superior whatever, but well, he's… I mean… ugh… he's just different when you're present."_

The sky-bluenette hummed in response, only half-listening as Momoi droned more. Her eyes then moved their attention back at a little recent picture beside her 1st grade picture.

It was her and Kise in Maji's in their 2nd year, still wearing their respective school uniforms, laughing so hard that they were pictured with drinks spilling from their noses. The picture was obviously stolen, judging from the angle of the shot. She remembered sitting separately with Kise from the others, due to their untold insistence, but it was fun.

The picture itself brought a smile to her lips as she gazes on it a little longer.

_"__Dah~ Miko-chan! Are you even listening?"_

The caller at the end spoke through her senses, causing her to snap back into reality.

"E-Eh, wait, you were saying…?"

The sky-bluenette could picture Momoi's mouth forming into a deep pout, even as her cheeks grew red due to annoyance. She giggled at the thought of it.

_"__W-What's so funny! Miko-chan! Meanie!"_

"I couldn't help but picture you crossing your arms as you pout and as your face turns red because you're annoyed right now."

And to that, it was Momoi's turn to laugh and the girl joined along.

Oh, how she missed the old times—where she can joke around with no worries, be with her friends, and play the sport she loves to the core. How she wished it were the same.

But, it's never going to be, how much she wished for it.

Out of the blue, her head throbbed and within her consciousness, she saw a girl who was a spitting image of her—no, she saw a girl that was herself. She couldn't make out all of her face, but she knew it was her. Herself, in fact.

_Tsk. Ne, Kami. You are such a stupid little girl. Wishes are for weaklings! They let you hang on a false hope that was never present in the first place._

The girl swore she heard a voice smiled a sinister smile, followed by a sound of menacing laughter and it all came from the girl facing opposite to her in her consciousness.

Holding up her aching head with her free hand, she barely heard Satsuki's strings of worry on the phone. Her right arm twitched continuously, causing her to roll on her bed in pain as she tries to gain back control over her right arm.

_"__M-Miko-chan! O-Oi! What's wrong?!" Momoi_ pushed in so much worry over the line.

She can never blame her friend or even the rest of them. It was already done. Not that she couldn't do anything about it, because she always find a way to make things work according to her situation.

But this… Akkiko… her other half … this situation is completely different.

_Akkiko is Kamiko's split personality, known as Hoka no jiko. She learned about Akkiko when she was in 1__st__ grade when Akashi explained it briefly to her. It turned out, Akkiko was supposedly her real twin sister, but somehow, in their mother's womb while they were still developing, like a fight for dominance kind of thing, Kamiko 'ate' Akkiko up or so the rumours said. Most likely, Akkiko's consciousness lived dormant inside her subconscious until Kamiko was bullied on her first day of school._

_Unlike her neutral-yet-unusually carefree personality, Akkiko is a demon-like sadist—almost parallel to __**that **__person, adding it be a much more different level than his. [Validated to as why she was named after a demon or 'akki.'] She takes pleasure in destroying anything, adding to her ability being called the 'Kurenjingu Hakaisha' or 'Cleansing Destroyer.' As a living consciousness, she can enter other people's deepest consciousness, the part where every little thing is out in the open since this part of the mind never lies. Through that, she can destroy that certain consciousness or cleanse it, be it willed by that certain consciousness or against its will._

_Despite her rather twisted mindset and everything else, Akkiko cared deeply for Kamiko, reaching to the point when she only comes into the surface, as to momentarily taking over Kamiko's body, __**if**__ Kamiko calls for her._

_Stop wishing for something that ceased to exist. _Akkiko mocked in a sickeningly sweet tone that sounded so much like her own but is not. _But if you desperately want those times back, you clearly know what to do, Kami._

_Just say the word and I'll do the rest. _The voice dropped low as it started to fade away, parting her last words.

_Death and Destruction._

At that moment, the sky-bluenette blacked out of exhaustion, leaving Momoi on the line.

* * *

><p>The next day, Kamiko groaned in her sleep, blinking as she shields her eyes from the sudden day light.<p>

"Eh… morning already?" she thought aloud, glancing at her bed table clock.

_6:00am _

The digital clock stared back at her as she rolled to her side to sit up. Looking at the floor, the girl spotted her cell-phone, wondering how it got there in the first place. Flipping to check the damage, which luckily wasn't any present, she discovered numerous miscalls and messages. She frowned at the sight, wondering what came up, so she decided to check some, with a reason to past time before heading to school.

_From: Satsuki (=3=)_

_Ne, ne, Miko-chan! You left me on the line last night! What was that… death and destruction you mentioned last night?_

Wait, what? What happened last night? Death and Destruction?

Memories from last night flooded into her. She recalled talking to Satsuki after taking a shower, having mentioned that others were worried about her and such. Also, where Akkiko nagged her into 'saying the word' before she left her alone, causing her to black out.

_What was that all about?_

She shook the thought away as she checked to see another one, from Aida Riko, Seirin basketball team's student coach.

_From: Aida-senpai_

_Ohayou, Miko-chan! Rooftop, 8:40am sharp. Ja ne~! (o^3^o)_

She titled her head in confusion at the coach's message but replied back to her anyway.

_To: Aida-senpai_

_Noted. _

Other messages were unimportant, due to the fact that it all came from Momoi and some from Tetsuya, from Kagami…

Wait, Kagami? How—

_From: Unknown_

_Don't freak out. I got your number from Riko-senpai for… whatever! Why am I even explaining this to you?! Senpai says 8:40!-KT_

_P.S.: Surprisingly, you're just two houses away from mine. I'll bring in breakfast. Don't complain!_

To that, the sky-bluenette blinked at the message, confused at his message but felt obligated to reply back to the redhead. When she caught sight of the added note on his message, she shook her head in amusement at her fellow classmate's antics and decided not to reply then, not forgetting to save the redhead's number into her phone book. As she went back from her message threads, she raised a brow at a familiar number; **two familiar numbers.**

_From: Reo_

_Neeeee, Miko-chaaaan! How have you been-kesu? Did I hear that you enrolled at Seirin High? (ToT) E-eh?! Why didn't you enroll here at Rakuzan High? The three of us are here! We missed you, senpai! 3 b3d Kota-chan is being an ass as always!_

Undeniably, that message caused her to smile a little. The last time they saw each other was somewhere during her admission in the hospital after _something _that happened during the Nationals. She recalled Reo being worse than Akashi whenever _his _name was mentioned, even around her, but he handled it as properly like a certain green head from Teiko.

She sighed at the thought as she moved to the next message, from the GoM's former captain and Rakuzan's present captain.

_From Sei:_

_Ma, Bakamiko. I heard about you from Satsuki. Seems like Akkiko is conniving with you to let her take control of your body, fully this time, for a __**very**__ serious payback. _

Akashi Seijuro. He was the team captain of the Generation of Miracles and the Rakuzan present team captain. Before everything else, he was a classmate and a really close friend since grade school. Since she was a new student and Tetsuya was sick on the first day of school, she gets picked on because of her messy-looking hair, saying that she looked unclean and filthy, even though she knew she takes a bath three times a day. It was that time when he came to her rescue when he saw firsthand… the **_damage_** she made to her older bullies. At the sight of him the first time, Akashi has this authoritative aura around him for a youngster. She noticed his classmates were scared of him but somehow, she wasn't scared of him at all. She tend to stick up with him whenever she could, especially when Tetsuya is… being Tetsuya—calling him 'Sei-chan' in the process. At first, he refused to be called by that, saying it sounded "very girly", but then, it just sticks. He got used to it one way or another.

She looks up to him; admire him up until now, despite his former team winning against them during the third year.

And surprisingly, the only one who knew about Akkiko.

Getting up from her bed, she walked towards the bathroom and the first thing she saw was her own reflection in the mirror.

_Should I remind you that you look worst in the mornings?_

Kamiko just shook her head as Akkiko says this with glee. Her hand finding the sink faucet knob, she turned it on at full throttle as she scopes the overflowing water to quickly wet her face.

"Should I remind you that I did not ask for your oh-so-honest opinion?"

The sky-bluenette smirked at her own reflection, as she 'felt' Akkiko sighed in annoyance, abruptly dismissing their banter for another time then.

"… Okay, breakfast, brush teeth, quick shower, pack school things… then off to school."

* * *

><p>Just as she opened her front door to go on her way then, Kagami was already on the verge of knocking by then, with a hand formed into a fist as it was raised midway. Both people stared at each other, trying to comprehend the rather… awkward situation that they were in. As Kamiko finally remembered what he was there for, catching sight of the paper bag in his other hand in the process, she sheepishly scratched her head and apologized, as she really thought that the redhead was joking about the bringing over of breakfast. To that, she earned a glare, a scowl, and a rolling pair of fiery orbs as Kagami tossed her the paper bag which in it was two medium sized bagels of cheese and two cartons of milk. The sky-bluenette blinked at the sight, glancing back at the redhead, who just waved it off as he was already leaving the girl behind, causing her to hurriedly close the door behind her and catch up with the redhead.<p>

The Seirin basketball club had some weird tradition of having their would-be regulars shout out their names, class number, and their goals at the top of the rooftop. And if they can't achieve the said tradition, they have to confess to the girls they like butt naked. Luckily, Kamiko was a girl. She didn't really have to do anything if she wouldn't do her part, but still it was obligated.

As it was Kamiko's turn to do her part, the disciplinary master of the school had barged into the rooftop, as a result of all the present freshmen and juniors, along with their coach, getting an entire day's detention along with a long lecture from an infuriated teacher.

* * *

><p>Hanging out at Maji's as usual, Kagami stuffed his face with the burgers he ordered angrily. "I can't believe the teacher got mad over a little shouting from the rooftop." He grumbled, whilst drinking from his milk shake at the same time.<p>

"I wasn't able to do my part yet I got into trouble too," Kamiko commented, causing her redhead brute fellow to choke on his burger upon realizing that Kamiko is in front of him again, casually drinking her vanilla shake.

"What, _again_?" Kagami seethed, after managing to finish his burger the right way this time. "Should I start looking for a spot somewhere else?" He mumbled to himself.

"Rooftop is offlimits now," Kamiko pursed her lips into a thin line."What are we going to do if we can't join the basketball team?"

Kagami snorted and smirked. "There's no way that is going to happen," he said confidently. Kamiko nodded in acknowledgement as she forced her attention away from the redhead to the people passing by the window. Kagami then blinked, as he recalled just what he wanted to ask her the night before.

"Karadai, why didn't you go to some big high school like the other guys? You were great enough to be known as the '_Megami reijingu'_, right? Despite being the only girl in an all-boys team. Is there some explanation that you play basketball?"

Kamiko said nothing nor moved her attention from the passing people as she sips from her straw. Leaning lazily on her palm, she began. "Like the Generation of Miracles, the Uncrowned Kings had only one core principle, 'The only people who can survive are the strongest and the fittest.' Along with teamwork, we forcefully push the individual talents of the Uncrowned Kings to win. We stick as a team, driving us to top the Nationals until the Generation of Miracles beat us to it at the third year and that made me feel that other than losing for the first time, I also felt we lacked something really important."

There was silence between the pair before Kagami spoke up once more. "What was it?"

"What?"

Kagami looks at Kamiko, frowning at the skyblue crown, who paid no attention to the redhead as to looking at him. "What was that thing that you lacked that was very important?"

Kamiko's eyes widened a fraction at the question, but it was too quick to catch hold of, even for Kagami. "The Uncrowned Kings weren't as they were known for today. Like the Generation of Miracles, we started out as a normal basketball team. We all played the sport because we loved it." She paused a few moments before continuing. "I started playing basketball because I love the game ever since I can remember. It was then all of them started evolving during our third year, crushing every team that came our way, just like the Generation of Miracles. Both teams were… invincible," Her voice dropped low at the last word, causing Kagami to frown in confusion.

"So what if you grew stronger? What's the trouble?"

Kamiko sighed lightly and faced the redhead once again; her expressionless face that ticked Kagami somehow. "It isn't something you can understand by words alone. It's something you can comprehend only if you were present during that time too," she said. "Slowly but surely, they changed." Her voice shook a little. "It got to the very point that I loathed basketball." Kagami couldn't help but blink in surprise. "The sound of the ball… the sounds of sneakers squeaking against the court floor… the swishes of the net… I hated every single thing that involved the game." Kamiko quietly admitted. "And by the time we reached the Nationals, I can openly say that no one on Hanzo and Teiko loves basketball anymore."

She sighed heavily, even as she looked back out the window, with a few people passing by. With all the new information that was harvested, the redhead tried to marinate them all in his head. He was silent the whole time, most probably shocked at the revelation he received.

He started at his remaining burgers on his tray then at Kamiko and there he saw the brief but saddest expression that was plastered all over her face as she continued to stare outside the window.

Kagami sighed lightly and slouched in his seat as he looked out the window as well, for the first time his appetite was gone too soon but somehow he didn't care. Every detail in her story, if not the full story, most especially the part where she mentioned that she came to hate basketball before.

_So much must have happened while I was in America. That just sucks._

There were a lot more questions he wanted to ask her, without being a pry, but he thought it was also best that she would initiate and he would really and gladly listen. He has much to learn, without him admitting out loud—from her, especially from her former teammates and the Generation of Miracles.

Heck, it will be keeping him on the edge, knowing that they will be facing them sooner or later and the thought of it made him grin like a complete maniac.

"You know, you're very creepy grinning like an idiot, Kagami."

He was snapped back into reality when he heard her spoke and he couldn't help but grin more as Kamiko faced him fully, her sad expression from moments ago was replaced with her usual neutral expression.

"Nah, just the thought of facing them one by one sooner or later is making me high."

And he **did not **expect a sound of laughter—_ a girlish kind of laughter_—coming from Kamiko and he wasn't aware of how beet red his face was, mostly from embarrassment.

"W-What the hell is that sound!? Where did you hold poker-face Karadai hostage?!"

He continued barking nonsense as he hand-animated her. The girl couldn't help but be amused at his stupidity.

Laughter somehow lifted off the excessive weight from her shoulders, feeling relaxed. She hasn't been like this in a long time—a long time that meant after her parents died when she and Tetsuya were still in 3rd grade. And she missed the sound of it. The sound of her own _true _laughter.

"I give up. I'm not buying it. You're not the poker-face Karadai," Kagami raised his hands in mock surrender, his smirk present in his lips and Kamiko rolled her eyes.

"I'm not a poker-face. I'm just like this," the girl countered, making him snicker.

"Oh yeah? Then who is it?"

"Who was what?"

"That reddish head guy who was playing with you in that abandoned gym nearby some weeks before school starts? He has this jersey jacket… uh… what was that name again…"

_'__That guy… gives me the chills. From the looks of him, his aura is eerie and the jersey jacket… it was a basketball jersey jacket! Who the hell is he?! Man, he might be stronger! I like to play him!' _The redhead thought, ferociously grinning to himself again.

Kamiko blinked. And blinked. Then, her face turned grim. She looked away, facing the window again as the redhead brute was in his own little world, trying to remember the name, even to that it made her sigh.

"What were you doing, sticking your nose into my business?" Quirking an eyebrow, she looked at him causing Kagami to look at her.

"What? That wasn't even 'sticking my nose'! I happened to kill time there, since it has been my spot before I moved back to America to finish middle school," Kagami's eyebrow twitched as he explained himself shortly.

Kamiko's face looked bored, but she thought she would answer his original question then.

"It was a Teiko jersey jacket. And the 'redhead' that you mentioned was a dear close friend of mine."

_'__Teiko, huh?' _Kagami thought impatiently as she stayed silent for a few more moments. "So he's part of this… Generation of Miracles then?"

As when her mouth opened to speak, she closed it again and gave out a tired sigh.

"Yeah, he is."

Surprised at her short answer, he grumbled, deciding to stuff his mouth with the remaining burgers in his tray. The sky-bluenette played with her straw in her now-empty disposable cup absentmindedly with her right hand. Kagami, as he resumed eating, he caught sight of a spandex like band on her right wrist—actually, he caught sight of her spandex support that covered the half of her lower arm.

He's seen her with a full right arm spandex support during practice. He thought it was only something minor, like to avoid injury or something, but then he remembered their coach and captain's conversation before practice ended, as they were talking about Kamiko's play.

**Flashback**

_"__Okay guys! The rest of the newbies, hit the lockers! Kagami, switch with Miko-chan now!"_

_He heard their coach's instruction, nodding it off as he passed the ball to Izuki and turned his direction to Kamiko, who was walking into court and met him just half-way with a hand-tap. The redhead then sat just a fair distance from Riko and Hyuuga, who were talking. Shrugging, he took a fresh hand-towel to wipe his sweaty face and took a big gulp from his water bottle, as his eyes were trained on Kamiko and Izuki's one-on-one match._

_"__Ne, Hyuuga-kun. Did you watch the DVD of Hanzo's previous matches where Miko-chan was present?"_

_Kagami's ears perked, his eyes darted towards the brunette's figure, her face was serious and was in a thinking position. He caught sight of their Captain adjusting his eye-glasses as he watched the match._

_"__I did. From the first until the Nationals in her third year," The four-eyed Captain replied with a blank expression. "She used to play with her right instead of her left." Riko nodded in acknowledgement as she continues to observe the sky-bluenette as she swiftly passed Izuki's block, leaping as to dunk the ball into the basket._

_ "__For three whole years, she was using her right. Her play was slightly different now that she's using her left. It seemed better than her usual play… but, I wonder what made her switch?" It was Riko speaking now, making the redhead furrow his eyebrows in confusion._

_"__It was during the Nationals in her third year. Witnesses—the audiences say that it was her own teammate who… damaged her right shoulder, causing her to lose its usual strength," Hyuuga tsk'd and shook his head. "They were against the Generation of Miracles, then. Their player claimed that her teammate had meant to injure her all along, using the opposing team's Ace as bait. It was all caught on tape too," the short-haired captain sling his towel around his nape as he crouched down, his upper body weight supported by his lower arms on his knees. _

_Riko looked at Hyuuga, who became silent, then looked back at the sky-bluenette, who was standing casually on court, surprisingly not looking tired at all, unlike Izuki, who was panting heavily now._

_"__Should we confirm this to her? I mean, well, talk to her about it?"_

_To that, Hyuuga shook his head solemnly. "No, there was a reason why she didn't tell us in the first place. So we should leave it be. For now," he added as he stood up, adjusting his eyeglasses. "Unless, push comes to shove, we'll wait and see how this goes." _

**End of Flashback**

"What really happened back in your 3rd year, Karadai?"

The question somehow caught her off-guard, as she snapped her attention to the redhead, who looked surprisingly serious for once. Silently debating whether or not she would answer his question, she hears Akkiko speak in her subconscious.

_From the looks of it, you should answer him. _She heard her twin sister sigh, making her shift in her seat as to where it is much more comfortable. _He's been going on it for a while. You are so oblivious for a brilliant scholar, Kami._

The sky-bluenette let out a loud sigh, just to silence Akkiko. Kamiko looked at Kagami, who looked like he was deep in thought, as if contemplating if he should bring up the subject that she has been avoiding for a good 7 months now. She could only give a sad smile and breaks the silence between them.

"You've been meaning to ask me that for quite a while, ne, Kagami?"

That caught his attention, causing him to look at her and slowly nodded as he scratched his nape awkwardly.

"Uh yeah… is it okay?"

She nodded a bit, resting her chin on her palm, which caused him to inwardly sigh in relief and clears his throat rather nervously, making her quirk her brow at his actions.

"Well… what part of my 3rd year would you want to know?"

"The Nationals." He slowly began, trying to relax as her honey-glazed eyes were trained on him fully, as if leaving him no room to escape. "I overheard Riko-senpai and Hyuuga-senpai comparing your style of play today and back then." Seeing her quirk both her eyebrows, as if suggesting him to continue, he gulped and continued on. "And I realized that instead of using your right, you use your left. Why is that?"

Kamiko moved her attention from Kagami to her disposable cup, playing the straw with her free hand. "I got my right shoulder tendons and muscles shattered during the game," she spoke after a while. "I caught my former teammate red-handed as he was provoking the opposing team's Ace, but in the end, the blow was for me." The sky-bluenette left out Aomine's name and _his _name out, for she thought it was too early to tell her fellow redhead teammate.

Kagami can only have a vein pop somewhere in his temple as soon as he heard that Kamiko was injured intentionally. "That's just bull! You're the… proof! Why didn't the Sports Association kick that bastard out?!" He balled his fists in anger and gritted his teeth. He twitched even more as he noticed the sky-bluenette was calm about it.

"Believe me, I wasn't calm. At first," She answered the question that he was about to ask, catching him in surprise. "I thought I couldn't play anymore after what the doctors had told me during my admission, but the 'redhead' that you mentioned earlier, he told me that if I still want to play basketball despite my injury, I had to—"

"—Start from square one." Kagami completed her statement, with her nodding in agreement.

"That's correct."

The redhead brute shifted in his spot, making himself more comfortable then. "So when I saw you with that guy in the gym, it was about training with your left arm." As the girl nodded again, he sighed heavily, as he picked up his half-full disposable cup and drinks from it.

"It made more sense now. You sure did catch on pretty quick," He pointed out, making Kamiko shrug.

"Four months seemed pretty short to me, but I think I fairly improved—" As that, her phone vibrated, signaling a message. Confused, she picked her cell-phone to see who it was.

_From Tetsuya:_

_Aunt Miyuki is disappointed that you didn't enroll at either Shutoku High, Rakuzan High, Yosen High, Kaijo High, or Touou Academy—the prescribed high schools that she recommended for you. I never told her anything, so I have no idea how she got the news, but just a small heads up, she's planned to visit you during the Inter High preliminaries. The way we both know her, she's up to no good. Be careful. _

"Tsk…" She clicked her tongue and gritted her teeth in anger as she stuffed her phone back into the side pocket of her bag. Kagami was confused at her sudden change of mood when he saw the look in her eyes.

That blank, fuming look in her eyes, despite her neutral facial expression, was more than enough to send chills into his spine, making him shiver at the sight. That was the first time he's seen her this cold.

_'__I wonder what the message was about that change her mood in a split second?'_

"Oi—"

"Sorry, I have to leave you."

Standing up from her seat and without looking at him, she grabbed her bag as to leave the place, leaving Kagami dumbfounded.


	2. Chapter 2

**Recall:**

_"So when I saw you with that guy in the gym, it was about training with your left arm."_

_"__4 months seemed pretty short to me, but I think I fairly improved—" As that, her phone vibrated, signaling a message. Confused, she picked her cell-phone to see who it was._

_'__I wonder what the message was about that change her mood in a split second?'_

_"__Oi—"_

_"__Sorry, I have to leave you."_

_Standing up from her seat and without looking at him, she grabbed her bag as to leave the place, leaving Kagami dumbfounded._

* * *

><p>"Damnit."<p>

It was before dawn when he starts playing in a nearby street court. Kagami tch'd as he dribbled in a little fast pace, positioned to shoot the ball into the basket and he did. The redhead blew a breath in a form of exhale, even as he gets the aimless slow-paced ball that already hit the fence.

"What was the message about that made you angry, Karadai?" He thought aloud as he shoots the ball from where he was presently standing and it got into the basket again.

As he landed on the ground from his leap just now, he placed his hand on his hip and looked towards the rising sun on the east of the court. Heaving in exhaustion, he scratched his nape and went towards to corner to get his things.

"Was the bringing over some breakfast for her a bad move?" The redhead then again thought aloud as he gathered his stuff to go on his way. When he realized what he thought just now, he inwardly cursed himself. Of all things to worry about, why would that be a big issue? IT WAS JUST BREAKFAST.

As he reached the school gym, the student coach and the captain, even the other seniors and freshmen were present. His eyes darted from left to right, even as he accidently placed his duffel bag over Izuki's bag. The redhead caught note of his other teammates emerging from the lockers in their practice attires then.

"Yo! Kagami! Looking for Karadai?"

The redhead's attention was caught by Hyuuga, who was already in his practice attire, and he nodded his head lightly.

"Where is she?"

"She might be running a bit late, I guess. We'll have to warm up quick." Hyuuga stated, earning a nod from the tall redhead. "I fear… Riko's going to kill us today…" the four-eyed Captain muttered, earning a confused look from Kagami.

_'__Huh?'_

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_I talked her out of it, to give you some time, Onee-san," _Tetsuya's soft monotone was heard from the other line, causing the sky-bluenette to sigh, mostly in relief. He clearly knew the news he texted last night was depressing—no, it was burdening, but he had to make sure she knew.

Todo Miyuki. That is their aunt's name, an older sister to their deceased mother, Kuroko Misao. Brought up in two such different worlds, they were both distinguished sibling-rivals for Todo Technologies Co., a well-known company across Japan then the whole of Asia and eventually, its name reached the West. Rumors during their time, the CEO of the company, their father, legitimated Misao to take over the company. 18 years old and the youngest daughter of the Todo clan, she politely declined the legacy, deciding against his wishes not to take part of it as she had to force her father's hand to place the company into her older sister's care. Miyuki, however misreading her younger sister's actions, became jealous, irrationally plotting to eliminate her younger sister for years after the postponement of the take-over. It died down when Misao left Japan shortly after their father's unlikely death.

Misao never really cared about the company since she wanted to travel around the world, as to fulfill her childhood dreams as a WNBA basketball player.

And in a way, she did. Kamiko's mother made her debut as a basketball player in America when she was 18 years old and was said to be the youngest woman basketball player in the history of basketball. It was then she met her team's manager and coach, Karadai Leo, and just a short 6 months after they met, they married and had the sky-bluenette with him. Kamiko was only a month old when Leo, her father, was killed in a carjacking accident. Just about 3 months after the accident, Misao went back to Japan and entered Rakuzan High immediately after the school received an anonymous recommendation that she was the best coach/basketball player to have after making 5 consecutive wins in a row back in America. Then again, there she met the principal and former Rakuzan basketball coach, Kuroko Tokiya—Tetsuya's father, eventually.

When Miyuki heard of her younger sister's worldwide fame and success that was accumulated in a short span of 5 years, her long-dead jealousy was reignited despite finally able to take over their father's Todo Technologies Co. when Misao left. She half-heartedly wished her younger sister was dead, and for some reason, the gods of calamity heard her.

Rumors again have it that it was by Miyuki's hand that killed both Misao and Tokiya 8 years after Tetsuya was born. There were no rock-solid evidences to tie the accident to Miyuki, however, so the case was closed, then leaving 3rd graders, Kamiko and Tetsuya parentless. Somehow, Miyuki felt guilty about what happened to her sister, so to back her debt, she took her children into her care.

Despite everything, Kamiko and Tetsuya neither hate or love their aunt and the feelings were mutual, but they were grateful that she went on her way to take care of them when they parents died, even until now.

"Thanks, Tetsu. It's really helpful, honestly." Kamiko nodded, even thought she knows he couldn't see her appreciative gesture. She was packing her extra white shirt and jeans into her duffel bag as something to change into after training today.

Oh and today was a Friday. Every Friday at Seirin High, students, boys and girls, are in almost every spot of the school—be it the dojo, the gym, the art rooms, the theatres—in their respective club uniforms as they attend their extra-curricular. To simply put it for ignorant people to understand, Fridays are dedicated for the club activities—half day or even whole day. It's practically like a free day—a free day at school. It's fine though because it's fun.

"How's your stay in America anyway?"

_"__It's fine. Oh, I was planning to visit you to see you play for the Inter High Preliminaries…" _

She can detect a smile in his words, making her smile as well.

Ever since she started playing basketball with Akashi in grade school every after classes, Tetsuya would always tag along to watch her play. It has been a routine—more like an escape from everything, especially when the skyblue crowns' parents were in an accident during their 3rd grade. Tetsuya, though at first, thought that basketball was boring but when he saw his sister play, it was when his mindset about basketball then changed. He wanted to play with them but he was too weak unlike his sister, nonetheless, he enjoys the sport from the bottom of his heart.

"Really? But what about your studies there?"

_"__They can wait. Not to brag but I'm already ahead of my classmates."_

She giggled at her brother's cute monotone.

"Alright, alright. Whatever you say. The question is… where are you staying?"

She must have heard a faint snort on the other line when the male bluenette answered._"With you, of course. I need to minus the accommodation expenses at least." _Tetsuya rolled his eyes playfully as he used his 'duh' monotone at his older sister, even though he knew she couldn't see it.

Kamiko laughed at his failed attempt to sound sassy. She looked at her reflection at the full-body mirror to check herself once more. '_Okay, all set.'_

"You're sleeping in the futon. I don't have a living room since my place is small. It means no couch at all." She reminded him as she picked up her duffel bag from her study table, walking out of her bedroom, her cell-phone still held between her ear and shoulder.

_"__Yeah yeah. That's what I get for being related to you, Onee-san."_

"And I love you too, Tetsu!" She giggled as she countered him, earning a chuckle from him.

_"__Whatever, Bakamiko. I gotta go. It's already late. Careful on your way to school today."_

She sighed sadly, not wanting him to hang up, but obliged anyways. She missed him so much.

"Take care, Tetsu! I miss you."

_"__I miss you too, Kami-nee. Love you. Good night."_

To that, he hanged up, making her sigh heavily.

Kamiko then slipped her cell-phone into her bag, grabbing her keys on her way out, securing her place. Stepping out of her little gate, she suddenly remembered that she had an appointment with the doctor for her monthly therapy this morning. Taking out her phone again, she dialed the team's student coach and within 2 rings, Riko answered the call.

_"__Mushi- mushi, Miko-chan! What's up?"_

"Aida-senpai, I'll be running a little late for the warm up… I remembered that I have an appointment in the hospital this morning."

_"__Ah! Sure, no problem! I'll make sure others would know as well."_

"Thank you, Aida-senpai—"

_"__Oh hush! Please call me Riko-chan from now on! I'm not going to let you in the gym if you keep calling me Aida-sempai. It makes me feel so old…"_

Kamiko cleared her throat, trying not to laugh at her coach's drama.

"O-Okay then… uh... R-Riko-chan." It felt odd, unnatural on her tongue, but she managed to choke the name out anyways, much to the brunette's pleasure.

_"__Hai, hai, Miko-chan! Take care okay?"_

"Will do. See you then."

The sky-bluenette then hanged up rather quickly, slipping her phone back into her bag. As she was supposed to head left towards school, she turned her heel to the right to head to the hospital. She then felt a sharp pain on her right arm all of a sudden, making her flinch at the ache. Her left hand then rubbed her right arm gently, with an attempt to soothe the ache and it somehow did. To that, she heard Akkiko's voice in her subconscious.

_Again?_

Kamiko tsk'd and nodded stiffly as she continued walking, almost reaching the hospital.

_Please don't tell me you forgot to bring your painkillers with you?_

She stopped at her tracks as she began sticking her hand into her bag to find her painkillers but to no avail. The sky-bluenette can only face palm at her forgetfulness. Out of everything that she would forget, it was her painkillers for her right arm. It was prescribed by her doctor just in case she feels any pain in her right arm. _'Curse you for not reminding me at all, Akkiko.'_

_Not my fault you forget. _Akkiko 'snorted'.

Kamiko shook her head in disappointment, deciding against going back home to retrieve her painkillers as she noticed that she's already a block or two away from the hospital.

_So Tetsuya managed to stall your Aunt to give you time to do what?_

"To give me more time to think. Granted, I don't want to see her. That last time we did was in—"

_Yeah, total disaster, I get it. Want me to destroy her?_

The sky-bluenette sighed when Akkiko gleefully suggested that. She shook her head and kept walking again.

"As much as we hate each other's guts, she still bothered to raise me and Tetsu. So, no. And it's final, Akkiko," the sky-bluenette told her sternly, leaving Akkiko sulking in the corner of the sky-bluenette's subconscious.

* * *

><p>Arriving at the Tanjou Hospital, she was greeted by a strong smell of antiseptic, making her scrunch her nose in disgust, still not used to the smell especially how many times she's visited the hospital, as she makes her way to the doctor's office that Kamiko always sees.<p>

Going on the usual routine, her woman doctor, Dr. Shiraishi, asks her the standard questions, which includes her diet, whether she has been doing anything strenuous with her left arm which she said that she was training with it, 'taking it slow' as she quickly added. Kamiko then was instructed to lay bare her right shoulder after taking off her arm support. She did what the doctor had told her then the she tapped the nerves and muscles around the sky-bluenette's shoulder.

Finally, the doctor quirked her eyebrow and wrote something in her clipboard and like that past several times that she's visited here, the woman doctor walked up to her as the sky-bluenette slipped on her arm support and buttoned up her blouse before wearing her cream sweatshirt.

"It's improved from the last time you visited here but it's still far from usual," Dr. Shiraishi mused lightly, holding onto her clipboard against her side as the doctor faced her regular lady patient.

The sky-bluenette sighed and shrugged lightly. "It's not that I was expecting anything from it all," she fixed her hair into a more proper look. "But, _someone _once told me that I shouldn't be apathetic about it so I had to train it…" She said as she looked at the doctor. "Just to exercise it." She added as an afterthought.

Kamiko's injury was known to every middle school district back during their third year of Hanzo, especially since their school, like Teiko, is pretty famous in a sense, and not to mention that Kamiko is the only girl playing in an _all-boys' _team at that point in time, but only the Generation of Miracles and the Uncrowned Kings actually knew just how bad the injury was.

Other schools, even the first through third string players of Hanzo, which also includes their coach, just assumed that the injury is a normal one. It is a secret that all the members of the Generation of Miracles and the Uncrowned Kings had shared, even now, and as a result, all of them are unusually withdrawn about their middle school days.

She told Kagami last night at will about what happened during the third year, but left out the rest of the details since it was too soon to spill the rest of the beans to a newcomer like Kagami Taiga. Riko and Hyuuga, however, found out the gist, just like what the redhead had told her, but she was grateful that they did not grill the information out of her since they must have thought that she would tell them sooner or later and that's what she intended to do as push comes to shove. Yet.

Even if someone had grabbed her arm by force, she can feel the faintest jab of pain but that's just it. At the same time, she couldn't control the motions of her once-dominant right arm and shoulder as well as she used to. Hanamiya had crippled Kamiko's right shoulder, thus leaving her no choice but to switch to her left arm if she still wished to play basketball [ As Akashi told her.].

"I'll take my leave from her, Dr. Shiraishi. Thank you." She stood up and gave the doctor a stiff yet polite bow, which the woman doctor gave an appreciative nod at her gesture, as she picked up her bag and left the office.

_Oh! There's Pocari in the vending machine, Kami!_

Kamiko nodded then turned to where the vending machine was, only to have an older cute boy with a wee shaggy brown hair and a gentle pair of dark eyes—obviously a patient, judging from the hospital gown that he was wearing, bumped into her.

"Ah sorry—eh? Kamiko?"

The sky-bluenette finally faced the boy and her honey-glazed eyes widened just a fraction at the sight of the person before her—

"K-Kiyoshi?"

"What are you doing here?" Ironic as it sounds, they both talked at the same time, suddenly succumbing into the air of awkwardness that hovered about them.

"You first!" And they did it again, causing the girl to sigh in amusement as the boy sheepishly grinned and scratched his nape.

"Ladies first."

"Kiyoshi, I may really be a guy for all who cares, you know," the sky-bluenette then poked his side playfully, causing him to laugh. "It's been long."

"Thank God for not adding 'senpai.' It's making me feel old, really," He grinned childishly, causing her to smile gently. "Yeah, it has been. Your monthly therapy went well this time, I guess?" She quirked her eyebrows, making the boy blink as he tries to go over his words, wondering if he said anything wrong to the girl. His adorable confused face made her giggle a bit, relaxing her tensed muscles.

_'__He reminds me of Riko-chan and it's … odd.'_

"It improved as the doctor said but it's still far from usual," Unconsciously, her hand darted to her right arm, rubbing it gently. Kiyoshi nodded in acknowledgement as he picked a candy from his hospital gown pocket and offered it to her, which she politely declined.

"Too bad, they taste really good." The boy commented with a grin, throwing the already-unwrapped sweet into his mouth. She blinked at the boy.

_'__Should he really be eating sweets if he's a patient here? Won't it set his recovery back?'_

Kamiko looked at Kiyoshi and his hospital gown, trying to understand what situation he was in. "Why are you dressed in a hospital gown? Is something wrong?"

Kiyoshi chuckled as he moved to sit at the nearby bench, motioning her to sit with him, which she obliged to.

"There is. Halloween is around the corner and I couldn't wait to wear my best costume." He tried to keep a straight face, but earned a light punch on the shoulder from her, causing him to make a playful groan. "H-Hey! I was just kidding!"

The sky-bluenette smiled a little but was immediately replaced with a frown. "Why are you really here, Kiyoshi?"

"I got rehabilitated again," he simply answered as he looked on the window in front of them, even as the sky-bluenette pressed her lips into a thin line, already knowing that _he _had something to do with this.

"How long has it been since you rehabilitated?"

"Well, a week after your release. So that was…" Kiyoshi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Ah… four months at the most?"

Kamiko sighed as she moved her attention from the brunette to the window as well, forgetting her pocari. She somehow felt bad that she didn't know that he was admitted right after her release. If others would have known, they would have told her about it.

"Others didn't know because I didn't tell them and you, but well," the boy looked at her with a stupid grin, answering the question in her mind, catching her in surprise but recovered quickly. "I'm caught red-handed by you so I earned another smack from you."

The girl rolled her eyes at his stupidity and shook her head with a smile. "No, I understand. It's fine. Reo and Kota would freak if they hear about your condition though. Eikichi… meh," she scrunched her nose for an effect, causing the boy to chuckle, even as she chuckled along as well.

"But, this is what Hanamiya really wanted, huh?" She sobered up, her face turned grim, causing the boy to look at her. "I already know about his immense hatred for me since 1st year, but this..." She looked at the boy, who has the most confused expression all over his face before he finally laughed, in turn confusing the girl.

"W-What's so funny about that?"

The brunette clutched on his stomach as he continued to laugh, as the sky-bluenette became mildly annoyed at his sudden change of mood.

"Sorry, sorry! I have no idea why I laughed." He choked out the words, in between the laughter as he managed to sober up, rubbing his stomach as he tries to ease down the ache from laughing too hard. The sky-bluenette shook her head in amusement as she placed her duffel bag on her lap. "You're right about Hanamiya, but the—" He was cut off by a dismissive wave of hand coming from Kamiko, whose face was inexpressive, causing him to blink.

"I know, Kiyoshi. I was there, remember?"

The boy smiled a little and nodded in agreement. "The pain came back around 4 months ago, so I had to come back here to rehabilitate again, but, pfft! I'm recovering fast since everyone's waiting for me." He then grinned widely as he ruffled her hair, causing the girl to roll her honey-glazed eyes and slapping his hand playfully as she muttered, "Not the hair. I just fixed that."

"Sorry, sorry!" He retracted his hand from her head, placing it on his lap, still looking at her. "So are you on your way then?"

She blinked as she tried to register his words. "Ah, gosh… I need to go, unfortunately." Kamiko sighed as she stood up from the bench and he does the same, only slower than her pace. "Sorry, Kiyoshi, and…" She side-glanced at the boy with one eye open. "Get better sooner or I'll come back and haunt you while you sleep." She then grinned, causing Kiyoshi to blink in confusion but grinned nonetheless.

"Eh, I wouldn't want that… Oh! Which high school are you in now?"

"Seirin High—Shimat-ta! The coach is going to kill me! Ja ne, Kiyoshi!"

She then disappeared quickly towards the exit without looking back, missing the raising of eyebrows from the boy as she said 'Seirin High.'

Kiyoshi Teppei then smiled, playing with the wrapper that once covered the candy that he ate just moments ago. He looked back at the window, then started walking back towards his hospital room.

"So we'll be playing for the same team again, huh?" He mumbled to himself with a grin, caught unaware of a faint blush across his cheeks as he reminisced a too-fond memory from not too long ago. "I'm really looking forward to playing with you again, Karadai Kamiko."

_You completely forgot the Pocari, Kami._

"I know, Akkiko! But we have to run or Riko's is going to kill me for being so late!" Kamiko replied, dashing past the unaware-then-surprised nurses and patients, as she stepped out of hospital, gripping on her duffel bag, going on her way to the school.

* * *

><p>"MOVE YOUR BUTTS FASTER OR I'LL TRIPLE THE NUMBER OF LAPS! MOVE!"<p>

The bellowing voice of Seirin High's student-coach Riko could be heard screaming at her players as they did their usual drills and warm-ups around the court before they actually got to the real training.

"D-Damnit! Isn't she even more tedious than usual?!" Koganei wheezed, forcing his already-aching legs to press on even faster, causing him to sprint like a goose.

"Shhh! Do not let Riko hear you say that." Hyuuga warned in a whisper, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a sky-blue crown entering the gym. "Oh! Kamiko!" Still on the run, he waved stiffly at the said girl who just arrived, already in her practice attire.

Kamiko nodded in acknowledgement and a single wave as she went into the lockers to stack her bag there.

"Eh? Miko-chan is already here?" Riko looked around, her hand on the whistle that was hanging on her chest and as if her question was answered, Kamiko emerged from the lockers, heading towards the short brunette. The short brunette then looked at the sky-bluenette and grinned, nodding at her presence. "How was your appointment?"

"It's fine, Aida-senpai—I mean... err… Riko-chan," Kamiko cleared her throat as she realized her mistake almost immediately, noting Riko's grin of pleasure at her effort to call her that.

"You were actually just in time though, Miko-chan… Everyone! Just continue on. Hyuuga-kun, I'm counting on you on this!" She shot the captain a glare, causing him to gulp and made the rest of the players to do as what the coach instructed.

"Ah, Riko-chan. Do you need something?"

The short brunette walked over to the bench as the sky-bluenette followed closely behind, sitting together as their figures faced the tired players who were still running for the remaining number of laps.

"Well, we needed a practice match and I had to go scout and get one by next week. I want to see the improvements we have from our daily trainings." Riko replied, as her attention was focused at her diligent players.

"And… you need my help to narrow down the possible high schools to practice match with, right?"

The brunette glanced at the sky-bluenette and at her arm spandex, then back at the players.

It seemed that it was too much, but with all the trainings and the team's devastating defeat a year ago, she couldn't just idle around anymore. Riko pressed her lips together, in thought. For the sake of her team and _that _person, she had to press the team beyond its limits if they still wanted to fully overcome the trauma from their defeat in order to really move forward.

"This will be a good thing for the basketball team, Riko. In this way, they can improve their faults from there on and improve to become even better," Kamiko pointed out and nodded in agreement, causing her to look at the sky-bluenette in surprise: surprised at how casual and informal the sky-bluenette mention the lady-coach's first name, not that the coach is complaining or anything. "We did what you're about to do back in Hanzo." She continued, rubbing her right arm gently. "Our former coach found us a lot of practice opponents from different middle schools. It had been part of our training eventually."

She sighed as she remembers those days. It was hard work, but they all loved it… because they loved the game, and that was until third year came by.

As Riko was about to open her mouth to speak, the sky-bluenette again continued, but this time, a solution to their coach's problem. "There's Morita High, Saotome Gakuen, Kokeshi no Gin High and…" The sky-bluenette sighed as she voices out the name of the school where a _certain _blonde that she knew quite well attends there. "… Kaijo High."

"Kaijo High? The school who always participates in the Inter High every year?"

To that, Kamiko nodded shortly as Riko pondered about the said school.

"The school of the National level, that's them. As far as I've seen, they are the best school to practice match with, unlike the others." The sky-bluenette explained to her just briefly and the short brunette nodded then with a grin.

"Well, it's set. I'll go check the school right now. Take care of the boys while I'm away, Miko-chan~!" Standing up abruptly, the short brunette quickly left the sky-bluenette confused in her spot and Hyuuga noticed this.

"Oi, guys! That's it for now. Rest for 15 minutes then we'll hit the baskets," his voice bellowed the gym, sending visible relief to the rest of the weary players as they dropped dead on the floor, panting heavily and catching their breath.

"What's Riko up to now, Kamiko?" Hyuuga wearily walked towards the girl as he helped himself with a fresh towel and just about then, Kamiko threw him a bottle of water, which he caught in the process.

"She's out to scout for a school to practice match with next week." She simply answered as she passed the bottles of water to the other players and some fresh towels too.

Kagami glanced at Kamiko as he got up from the floor, catching the bottle of water as it was thrown to his direction this time. The redhead just nodded in appreciation and the sky-bluenette smiled a little before turning her attention back to the captain, who was helping himself to sit beside her in the bench.

"Which school?"

"She told me not to tell." _'Although she really didn't.' _Kamiko mused lightly to herself as she caught sight of an exhausted look from the captain.

Hyuuga snorted as he gulped down the water. "Typical Riko." He said, after drinking water. _'I wonder which school to practice with.' _He took a quick glance at the other players. _'Knowing her, she might find a stronger school to against to see us out.'_

* * *

><p>"Kasamatsu-senpaaaaaiiii~!"<p>

A high-pitched voice that came from a certain cheery male blonde was heard as the boy came running into the Kaijo gym. The other regulars were already present as they were warming up for their trainings that day and the current Kaijo captain, Kasamatsu Yukio, twitched at their Ace's cheerful voice and headbutts the blonde as he finally neared the shorter player, causing the blonde to clutch his aching forehead and groan in pain.

"T-That hurt, Kasamatsu-senpai!" The blonde whined as he rubbed his aching forehead gently, trying to ease the pain as he glanced down at his senior.

"You are noisy and late! Why are you even late?!" The captain frowned as he said this, giving the sheepishly-looking blonde a hard glare.

"There's a girl from another school—"

"Hello everyone!"

A female polite tone was heard by then and all pairs of eyes landed on the short brunette, who judging from her uniform doesn't go to school here.

Kasamatsu blinked at the girl but as he was about to say something, Moriyama beat him to it as he introduced himself—rather flirty, though earning a painful kick from the said girl then, who looked rather pissed at Moriyama's poor approach. Hayakawa, Kobori, Kasamatsu, and even Kise sweat dropped at the sight, only as their attention turned towards the dusting movement of the unknown girl, who still was wearing an annoyed expression on her face. The girl shook her head in irritation as she faced the nearby players.

"I'm Aida Riko, Seirin High School Basketball coach. I would like a word with your Captain, since I can't find your coach or manager anywhere."

Not all had really noticed the raised brows from the blonde as soon as the name of the school where he knew a certain sky-bluenette attends to.

* * *

><p>As the training went on and ended for the day, they thought Riko must have went home first, so they huddled up quick then change into their fresh clothes in their lockers, with Kamiko being the first to come out of the lockers. As soon as they were all done, they went out together, only to part ways as they reached outside the Seirin gates, with Kagami and Kamiko walking home together then. The seniors wondered why at first, but the sky-bluenette cleared up the curiosity, telling them that the redhead and herself lived on the same street coincidentally, earning a glare from Kagami because of the word 'coincidentally' and few laughs and nods from the seniors then as they went their own ways.<p>

"Ne, Hyuuga, what is Miko-chan's surname again?" It was Koganei who asked, as him, Mitobe and the captain were walking home together since they lived in the same area.

"Ah, uh… Karadai. Why do you ask?"

"Eh? That name sounds familiar, you know? Karadai… Karadai… err… who was that basketball coach in America?" The cat-face frowned in thought as he tried to recall to the point when he had to knock on his skull rather hard and the silent but gentle giant, Mitobe, was listening.

"Oh? Well," Hyuuga adjusted his eyeglasses on his nose bridge, holding onto his duffel bag with his free hand. "Karadai… ah! Karadai Leo. The former American Women Tigers' coach and manager, already deceased."

To that, Koganei snapped his attention towards the four-eyed captain and nodded in agreement, rather happily. "Yeah! That guy! Karadai Leo, huh? Remember the news that he married a basketball player from that team too? Rumours stated that he married a Todo!"

"E-Eh?! Todo?! A-As in… Todo Technologies Co.?!" Hyuuga spluttered as he stared back at the cat-face who was still grinning widely. "T-They're one of the richest families, if not the only one, here in Japan!"

Mitobe just nodded along, listening at the conversation between Koganei and Hyuuga as they neared their area. The street lights were dimly-lit but it was fine since it is sprawling from one meter to another. There were a few lights on from some houses that they passed by: from the bedrooms, or the bathrooms, the living rooms, even the dining hall. The boys could even hear faint laughter from those houses they passed by, suggesting that some neighbors were living the moment.

"Well, we shouldn't jump into assumptions, Koganei, though I'm fully aware that some people rarely carry a surname like 'Karadai' or 'Todo' these days." The captain scratched his temple. "It must be coincidence, don't you think?"

Koganei glanced at the four-eyed and simply shrugged, stretching out his arms as they rested behind his head. "I wouldn't think so." For once, he sounded serious and Hyuuga and Mitobe were surprised. "Within the Todo's, they all sported blue hair and Albert Einstein intelligence, like Miko-chan," he explained. "At first, it was all coincidence like you said, but it wasn't. Todo Misao then Karadai Misao, then Kuroko Misao, the youngest daughter of the Todo Clan, the renowned WNBA's WAT basketball player and one of the best coaches in Rakuzan High, was Miko-chan's deceased mother."

Mitobe and Hyuuga can only continue to stare Koganei in surprise, even at his words.

_'__Kamiko's mother was a Rakuzan High basketball coach?! T-That's one of the most prestigious schools in Kyoto, if not the whole Japan! She must have inherited her parents' natural talents in basketball, huh? Tsk, as Riko said firsthand that Kamiko is never to be underestimated and she's right all along.' _Hyuuga pondered then as they dropped Mitobe off in his house, leaving Koganei and himself as they walked together, also nearing their respective homes. _'Kamiko must have known not to tell us who she really was because she thinks we would look at her differently as soon as we find out that she was the daughter of the best and well-known basketball players and coaches.'_

"She did make the right choice, even if she didn't really," Hyuuga broke the silence between the both of them causing Koganei to tilt his head in his direction, rather confused.

"About what exactly?"

"I think she wants to be treated like a normal person, not some royalty just because she's related to a Todo and a Karadai, even a Kuroko." The captain nodded, convincing himself, leaving the cat-face more confused, but eventually he caught on and grinned.

Since Hyuuga and Koganei's houses are practically next to each other, the captain stopped on his tracks, looking as if he was pondering over something, making the cat-faced boy halt just shy away from his gate to look back at the four-eyed classmate.

"Well, it's fine. I never really care about the surnames or titles or whatnots," the Seirin captain said after his moments of silence. "Until we prove what _that _guy had told stories about true, let's see more of what that girl is really made of. After all, she is _his_ former teammate and a silly kiddie crush." Hyuuga chuckled a bit, causing Koganei to shake his head in amusement.

"We're not going to be disappointed."

* * *

><p>"Kota-chan! Stop right there! That's my orange juice!"<p>

Meanwhile at Kyoto, more specifically at Rakuzan High School, the only lights turned on were the school grounds and the gym, where all the team's players were present for a late practice. Rakuzan's basketball captain and point guard, Akashi Seijuro, who always looked as emotionless and neutral as usual, stepped into the gym with a dark aura emitting around the said teen as his fellow teammates were still running around like children. Reo and Kotaro were chasing each other as the silver-haired player, Chihiro, was silently sitting down on the bench, panting from the training. Eikichi, however, was sprawled on the floor, tired from the day's training as well. The red crown then walked towards them, his right forefinger hooked on the collar of his jersey jacket that hanged on his back.

"You never share! You're mean, Reo-nee!" A certain carrot head—Hayama Kotaro, giggled and grinned, purposefully annoying Reo even more as the taller male tried to glomp the childish-minded member, but failed miserably. Kotaro, though on the other hand, caught sight of the nearing heterochromatic-eyed redhead crown, wearing his usual neutral expression even on court, unaware of the dark aura around their captain.

"Oh! Captain!"

The orange haired male waved happily at him, as their attention was turned towards their Captain then and stopped on their tracks. A certain tall raven crown male was one to break the tensioned silence that hovered in the air. "Sei-chan! Where have you been!?"

The soft red crown stared at the taller male blankly as he stood still on the spot where he paused on his tracks. "Suzuki needed my 'help', but she lied just to get to me." He answered in a monotone as he wrapped his shoulders with his jersey jacket, crossing his arms, as he ran his fingers through his messy short red locks.

"The student council vice president, Kotobuki-san? Eh?! I told you she likes you, Akashi-san—" The carrot head, who was grinning widely, was stopped abruptly at the warning look that was sent his way by their Captain, causing him to blink and gulped to feared silence.

Mibuchi rolled his eyes playfully as he placed a hand on his hip, facing the red head, who just glared back at the taller teenager. "We all told you the same thing, well, except Chihiro here who was always quiet and Eikichi, who never really pay attention at all." That made the red head snorted scornfully. "So what did you do with the girl?"

"Left her crying for her mommy," Akashi bluntly answered, leaving Mibuchi and Hayama to hang their heads, actually feeling sorry for that SC vice president. "I wasted my warm up time on her. Therefore, I had to make her pay."

To that, the raven haired male inwardly face palmed at their captain's harsh treatment to everyone, especially to girls, despite being the most sought-after guy in the entire school. It's been like that ever since Akashi enrolled in Rakuzan High School: topping the entrance examinations, taking over the student council as the president. The heterochromatic-eyed redhead was even immediately captain of the basketball team on the day of the club recruiting on the first day. Not that the rest of them were complaining. In fact, they were all in awe of the said boy, having once faced him and his former team back in _that_ National championships.

The taller raven haired crown wasn't sure that if any of them really paid attention back in middle school, but he did remember the redhead dropping by once to fetch their former captain. He did wonder from then what the redhead's real relationship with her, even until now, though he hasn't been able to ask Akashi.

"In that pace, you'll never get a girlfriend, Sei-chan!" Mibuchi playfully scolded their captain, making the redhead dart his hetero-chromatic eyes towards the wall, as he half-listened to the tall raven male. " You keep pushing all the girls away! You know how love struck they are with you, Sei-chan!"

Akashi had had enough of Mibuchi's naggings about his cold treatment towards everyone around him. He thought that they should be at least thankful that they are treated in a much more civilized and professional manner then since they are his teammates. He's like this to his former team, so what's different?

The redhead clenched his jaw as he keeps his composure, closing his hetero-chromatic eyes for a moment before speaking.

"If you're that much of a love expert, go get yourself a girlfriend, but until then, I'm going to call it a day tonight and we'll resume our training next week, tripling the amount of laps around the court," The captain snapped his hetero-chromatic eyes open and shoots a glare to each one of them as they all nodded frantically and headed towards the lockers to change, leaving Akashi alone in his thoughts.

"Girlfriend, huh…" He mumbled as he moved to actually wear his jacket, the name 'Rakuzan' clearly displayed on his back. The redhead then picked up his duffel bag from the bench as he walked out of the gym, turned its lights off, leaving the door half-open since Reo has the keys.

Memories that involved a certain sky-bluenette came into mind and unconsciously, a small smile came across his face. He then looked up the dark clouds, indicating that it would rain anytime soon. Almost immediately as he reached the gates, he saw a familiar car, waiting for him to take him home. As he neared the car, his butler, Cole, was patiently standing there beside the car, opening the back seat door for the redhead.

"Good evening, Seijuro-sama."

The redhead nodded in acknowledgement towards the young butler and went in the car, with the door closed behind him as the butler got back in the front seat and started the engine. Feeling the car in motion as to come home, he looked out the window rather bored of the ride, barely seeing a reflection of his heterochromatic eyes as he thought of her again.

When did his attraction to the said girl really started then?

**Flashback: at the first day of 1****st**** grade**

_That morning, the boy was dropped off by his butler in front of Kyoto Elementary School—the school said to be one of the best elementary schools in Japan. At first sight, the children who were already present all stared at him as he passed by quietly, keeping to himself. _

_'__Ne, ne, Mimi-san. Isn't that the only son of the head of the Akashi Financial Group?'_

_'__Eeeeh?! I heard his family is very rich! No wonder they could afford a school such as this one.'_

_That's right. Akashi Seijuro is the only son of Akashi Masato, the Head of the finest financial groups in Japan. Since he was the only son and legitimate heir to be handed over the business, Akashi was brought up under strict rules of his father, even from a very young age. It was suffocating, he'll give you that, since the boy had no such desire to take over the business, much to his father's disappointment , though the only freedom he would experience during his hardships was when his loving mother would play basketball with him. _

_Granted, basketball became his escape from his reality, especially when his mother was the only one among many others who encouraged him to enjoy the sport. He was geared up even more, rules made much stricter by his distant father, making the boy more desperate to disappear._

_'__I hope I could make some friends at least,' was his wishful thinking before he entered the class, but it was nearly the sound of bell and he hasn't made any friends, even from his classmates. Whenever he tried to get close in an attempt to make a conversation, his classmates would somehow stay away from him, afraid of his presence alone._

_Remember when his father had become stricter than usual; he unconsciously inherited his father's intimidating presence as he was growing up. That's why he wasn't able to make friends and he thought he really couldn't, despite how many times, but well, that's what he thought._

_When school finally ended, as to be a daily routine, he was to be picked up by his butler when he heard voices and someone crying on the way out the classroom, coming from the nearby restrooms. Curiosity then killed the cat, so he, with his backpack strapped on his back, neared the restrooms and the barely audible voices he heard became clear._

_'__Ehhh! You're so filthy! Get away!'_

_'__Don't you brush your hair?! You're so ugly!' _

_Then he heard a piercing scream, followed by continuous crying and hiccups. He thought he wasn't to meddle at anyone's business but there were bullies picking on someone inside the restroom. He wanted to save the person, just as he wanted to save his mother from dying, but somehow, somewhere, his legs couldn't move. Was he afraid? No. He wasn't afraid but he had no clue why he couldn't move. As he was still listening behind the half-opened door, he took a peek on the opening, he swore he saw a person—no, a girl—whom the bullies were picking on, standing up from the floor with her tear-stained round cheeks, staying unusually silent. Her bullies didn't like the sight of it, so as she tried to pull the girl's sky-blue hair, the boy saw the girl snapped her attention at the girl-bully, reaching out the poor bully's forehead in a speed quicker than the speed of sound and light. The boy couldn't make out the sky-bluenette's face since her bangs hid most of her upper face, but he caught sight a wide smirk that was across her lips and a clear phrase that sounded like cut glass._

_"__Death…" The sky-bluenette was still holding onto the wailing girl's forehead as she tried to remove her hand from her forehead but to no avail. "… and Destruction." That snapped the once-wailing girl as her eyes turned white and was motionless. The sky-bluenette then dropped the lifeless body on the floor without mercy, turning her attention towards her remaining victims._

_He just stood at his place, watching as her bullies were taken down one by one, surprised that there was no blood split whatsoever, as the sky-bluenette just grabbed them by their foreheads then in a split-second their eyes rolled white and like the first one, they became lifeless. _

_Four dead bodies in total, the sky-bluenette just stood there, motionless then suddenly she looked up the ceiling, her eyes still concealed by her bangs. There were fresh tears that rolled her cheeks then the faintest of smile then ran across the girl's lip and a whisper that caught his attention the most._

_'__It's alright now. Don't cry. I'm sorry that they caused you trouble, but don't worry. They'll never bother you again,_ _sukoshi tsuin. I'll protect you always, okay?'_

_And to that, he immediately opened the door wide, startling the girl and stopped him on his tracks as they both stared at each other. No words can describe the unfamiliar thump that suddenly ached his chest._

_The girl before him looked so strong yet vulnerable; an unlikely mixture of demon and angel in one glass and like him, she was an outsider as well. _

_Her honey-glazed eyes pooled once more as she saw him. The sky-bluenette's shoulders started to shake as she tried to control her flowing tears, but was unable to do so. She looked like she was having a hard time to calm down after what happened, so the boy then slowly came up to her and closed the wide gap into just centimeters away from each other. The girl then noticed this, looking up at the boy in front of her and suddenly her tears stopped and she stopped shaking. She just stared at him at he to her. The boy thought that she would be like the other children who would be scared of him to even come near him, but he saw that the girl did not move from her spot. Her face was expressionless, making him raise his eyebrows as he was unable to see what the girl was really thinking._

_And the most surprising thing that happened was…_

_Her lips broke into a smile and it threw him off-guard. The girl then rubbed her wet eyes with her sleeve and sniffed, wiping her sweaty hands on the hem of jumper and looked at the boy again, with her now-dry hand being offered for a friendly shake._

_"__Uh oh! My name is Karadai Kamiko, but you can call me Kami."_

**End of Flashback**

Since that day at the restrooms, the girl, Kamiko, became his very first friend and made another with Kamiko's younger brother, Tetsuya. He remembered the girl sticking close to him most of the time, but he could care less. He was alright with it, though at first the name-calling was nearly impossible. She wanted to call him "Sei-chan" and despite how many times they would argue, he left it at that, knowing full that there's no end to their arguments; then he got used to the name, eventually.

The whole time that she was with him, his chest ached with so much happiness that he couldn't describe; the kind of happiness that he missed when his mother was still alive—happiness that comes from playing basketball. He was able to find someone who shared the same interest in a game like basketball and it was one of the most memorable things in his dull life.

As they reached home, his butler then quickly opened the door for him, with him stepped out with his duffel bag. Reaching for his phone, he flipped it open then, his steely heterochromatic eyes landed on a certain picture on the screen: the sky-bluenette carelessly grinning with a faint blush across her pale cheeks as she hopped to hug his neck, causing him to lose some of his balance with a playful scowl on his face, though he knew in himself that he was fighting a smile that was threatening his lips then.

When was this taken?

**Flashback: First Year in Middle School—After final examinations**

_"__Sei!" _

_A rather melodic voice that called out the redhead's name echoed in the Teiko's gym was heard then, causing a lot of pairs of eyes present to see who it was. Just as the ball hit the basket rather smoothly, his red eyes turned their attention towards the sky-bluenette who was running towards him, waving happily. The ball then bounced aimlessly as he finally faced the nearing girl, noticing that she was still in her respective uniform, though her red vest was already off as she only had her white long sleeves carelessly folded to elbow high. Her sky-blue hair was let loose this time, just a red ribbon braided, noting that it was already past her shoulders as it bounces at her every step. _

_By now, Teiko's second strings to third strings have already been used to the sky-bluenette's presence since she's been coming by from Hanzo every so often to visit. As all of the players were all boys, it was only normal to check a girl out, admire, if you will, especially when it was a girl as pretty, intelligent and as bright-eyed as Kamiko, but as soon as they found out that she was their captain's best friend, they immediately backed off, knowing how the redhead captain's temper would be like if any of them fails to remember the oath of staying away from the sky-bluenette._

_And everyone thankfully still had their heads on, til today._

_"__Examinations are finally over at Hanzo?" Akashi placed a hand on his hip when he spoke as the sky-bluenette stop just less than a meter from him, panting lightly._

_"__Yep! I gave the team days off from trainings for today since it's a Friday as well. We'll just return to normal by Monday," Kamiko gave a sweet smile, which she didn't know warmed his being in a heartbeat. The girl turned her attention from the silent redhead towards the players who were present at the gym and gestured at them. "You should give them a time off, Sei. I mean, it's only for this weekend, especially when hell week just finished…" She trailed off._

_Akashi glanced at the situation that she was gesturing then and sighed. He didn't like to slack from trainings, but he knew the girl was right. Hell week has been mentally draining, though he didn't have problems with his academics since he always topped all of his subjects. The first strings to the third strings, who were just as average… well, he wouldn't want to have to take responsibility of any of his players to be absent because they were too tired or sick even._

_"__Fine, I'll let them off the hook for now, but I'm tripling their usual amount of trainings by next week," the redhead obliged, as the sky-bluenette rolled her honey-glazed eyes at his harshness towards his players. _

_As Akashi announced that he's giving them a time off, the players rejoiced, though it was short-lived when the redhead added that he'll be extra hard on them by the next week. At least they were able to rest their brains from the just-finished examinations. When the redhead finally gathered his things, the sky-bluenette was waiting for him by the entrance of the gym then, with her duffel bag slung across her upper body._

_"__Are you ready, Kami?" The redhead emerged from the gym then, his voice slightly startling the girl as she faced him. He caught sight of her flushed cheeks, inwardly thinking of how cute the blush was on her then, though he would never say it out loud._

_"__I was waiting for you so I'd ask you the same thing." She replied, her attention then was stolen by her younger brother, who just arrived from his last exam for the day._

_"__K-Kami-nee!" Tetsuya wheezed lightly, stopping just a meter away from his sister to catch his breath. "Momoi-san told me you'd be here waiting for Akashi-kun—"_

_"__Tetsu-kun!"_

_A high-pitched bubbly voice was heard, causing the redhead to face palm, the female sky-bluenette to shake her head and the male sky-bluenette to pale as the latter glanced at his sister for help, to which the female sky-bluenette giggled. The pinknette finally caught up with the latter with a grin and hugged him from behind._

_"__I finally found you~! Tetsu-kun~!" The pinknette giggled, earning a smile from the female sky-bluenette and a neutral expression from the redhead… well, a sigh from the male-bluenette._

_"__Momoi-san," Tetsuya shook his head and smiled a little, patting her head gently. "Are you ready?" Earning an energetic nod from the pinknette, Tetsuya turned his attention towards his older sister. "Well… we have to be on our way, then, Kami-nee."_

_Kamiko glanced at Akashi, who only nodded in response, then back at her younger brother. "Take care on your way okay?"_

_Just as the first pair were already two meters or so away from the latter, an arm—no, two arms snaked around the redhead's neck, causing him to nearly stumble on his spot because of the sudden weight on his shoulders. He glanced at his right, finding the sky-bluenette's clear smiling face looming against his and he made a scowling face to hide the growing heat from his cheeks. "What are you doing, Kami?"_

_"__Eeeeh? I want to hug Sei… Sei-chan~!" The girl rubbed on his cheek gently against her own, whilst grinning, earning a glare from the latter._

_"__You know I don't appreciate physical contact!" The redhead growled silently, still having his scowl on his face, as he tucked his hands on the pockets of his jersey jacket then, causing the girl to grin more._

_"__Well… that's all the more the reason to hug you right now, Sei~! I'm an exception, right?"_

**End of Flashback**

_'__You've always been an exception, Kami. Always.' _The soft red crown thought to himself, flipping his phone closed, as he walked into the lonely mansion, as a maid attended to his belongings, to which he declined dismissively with a single wave of his hand and helped himself into his bedroom.

Actually, he has his own apartment, the one his father had given him as a grade school present, but since he's in Kyoto studying, he could only come by to the apartment at weekends just to get away. He only comes by this mansion once or twice, usually when he only comes by to get fresh clothes, but most of the time, he was never in the mood to go back to this mansion- something that reminded him so much of his mother and his childhood days.

As he opened his door, he stood by the way, his hetero-chromatic orbs barely straining as he looked like he was searching for something through the blackness of his room. To that, he switched on the light, revealing a neat and spacious semi-plain bedroom. The interior design was rather modern, glass, aluminum… though the only thing that stood out from the modernity of his room was his wooden study table, which he fondly cherished since it was a birthday gift… or rather the last birthday gift from his mother right before she passed away when he was in fifth grade.

He gave out a light sigh as he took off his jersey jacket on his way to his walk-in closet, hanging it on a vacant clothes hanger inside. Attending to his duffel bag, he threw his dirty clothes into the laundry hamper that was located just near his bathroom. When the duffel bag was finally empty, he went back to his closet to find two clean white v-neck shirts, dark jeans, training basketball shorts, undergarments and a fresh hand towel and stuffed them all into his empty duffel bag.

As he was finished stuffing the needed garments into his bag, he placed it on his table then, his heterochromatic eyes finding a sky-blue ribbon hanging loosely on the handle of his drawer. At the sight of it swaying gently as the soft zephyr breezed through his half-opened window, it brought a tender smile on his frowned lips, softening his features that always held his usual stoic expression. Leaning just a little as he unwrapped the ribbon from its place, falling silkily through his long calloused fingers when he brought it up on his eye level, examining it with sheer curiosity and wonder. Tilting it from left to right, the ribbon shimmered with a certain glow against the moonlight shining through his window.

_"__Ne, Sei-chan~! I want you to keep this ribbon—like a promise ring, but it's a promise ribbon."_

_"__What are you talking about, Kami? I don't remember promising—"_

_"__I love you, Sei-chan~! That's a promise! You love me too, ne, Sei-chan? Then keep this!"_

"Like a moth attracted to the burning flame…" He muttered, his heterochromatic eyes softened, revealing the emotions that were once hidden for so long… so long that he thought he would never feel anything ever again… until only a mere thought of _her_ was present, shattering every calculation in his life to pieces; destroying the wall until it was only dust; until he was bare—until he was only himself. His _real _self.

"I hate how you of all people can make feel like this without me realizing it myself." He murmured, gazing up the crescent moon, his eyes covered by his long red bangs, causing a shadow to loom. "I detest this feeling… feelings that I don't understand; that I can't read; that I can't calculate; that I can't simplify in logical means. I detest anything that I don't understand." Despite its phase, it was still shining brightly. A hand that was holding the ribbon gently gripped on the poor silky thread. "You're unpredictable… You're the only person that I can't foretell…" He slammed the fisted hand on the table, a loud thump echoed across the silent room. His shoulders are shaking slightly but one knows his composure is falling apart. The redhead's eyes were still covered by his bangs, but one can't miss a barely controlled clenched jaw.

"You're the only person that I feel like I'm human for once…" A single tear glittered surprisingly as it ran down his cheek.

"Kamiko."


	3. Chapter 3

**Kamiko's PoV**

_"… __Scissors! … Wrath of hell for hurting Kamiko!"_

_ '… __Such a clever little girl, but unfortunately, that was really just for you…' _

_"… __Makoto! You know this from the back of your head that this is more than a foul!"_

_"__Kami, time to make him pay."_

I woke up in a panic, my breathing ragged and my whole body sticky in sweat from the broken dream—more like broken pieces of memories of a past that I desperately tried to forget. The pieces that practically changed everything because of that sadistic bastard.

Clutching on my night shirt that became damp from too much sweat, I glanced at the digital clock on the bed side table.

_04:30 AM_

The numbers blared red and back at me and I sighed.

_'__Well, I can't go back to sleep like this, can I?'_

Pulling the covers off, I got up and went to my walk-in closet to change into my jogging attire that consists of a black plain shirt, a gray hoodie, black jogging pants and some pair of socks. It took a while to change as I blindly picked my desired outfit, too stubborn to turn the lights on, whilst tripping here and there as I walk towards the bathroom to freshen up.

First of all, jogging wasn't part of my daily routine during the Hanzo days. Training in the gym, weights, and stuff like that were enough for me, but ever since _that_, I had to change my routine. It was a nix, but worth it. Jogging helps calm my nerves, especially when I am accompanied with music in the ears, having an iPod as I go. It lets me forget my pain even for a while and it's a bit refreshing.

As I checked the doors, I locked them as I was out of the apartment, sticking my white ear-buds to each of my ear, slipping my iPod into my jacket's secret compartment. Looking around to be cautious, I quickly slipped my hoodie over my head; warming up a bit before I went on my way.

The streets were dimly lighted but it was fine. I jogged in the main streets, since I wouldn't risk entering shortcuts, especially around this time.

About an hour of jogging, I paused to catch my breath, resting my hands on my hips. I ended up at a familiar stadium where the basketball tournaments are usually held. It was almost the break of dawn, the morning rays of the sun shining behind the dome. Sliding off my hoodie from my head, I took my earbuds off, slinging the wires around my shoulders since I felt lazy on sticking everything into my hoodie compartment.

Deciding to sit by the bench to rest since I have a lot of time to spare before my first period today, I instinctively rubbed my right arm. It was not a flesh-to-flesh contact, but a flesh-to-nylon-spandex contact. I glanced down to see my right hoodie sleeve was pushed up, revealing a royal blue nylon-spandex full arm support sleeve.

_Irritating, is it? Just because the doctor said to use one doesn't mean it had to be followed._

I sighed as I heard Akkiko's voice in my consciousness. I can 'feel' her frowning which was not unusual but not common. Half-expecting a headache, I felt none.

"It's helping me—"

_… __To forget what had happened during the Nationals? You're so gullible! It's making you remember it instead of forgetting it. Seems like 'Bakamiko' isn't for teasing after all._

My eyes, trained on the floor, widened, not surprised. I knew she was right. Ever since the said accident, I wore an arm cast for a good 3 months. I skipped graduation but I was able to get my diploma after that. Every month since that, I needed to visit the doctor for a check-up and rehabilitation, to help keep an eye on my recovery. Surprisingly, my shoulder blade wasn't broken, but I lost its usual strength since it held one of my dominant parts of my body.

**Flashback: On the day of the Nationals during the third year**

_"__Kuso- san! Is it correct? Are we up against Teiko?"_

_I looked up from my right arm in curiosity, watching our coach's face. Her eyebrows furrowed with her lips pursed and I tilted my head in somewhat… anticipation, since I already knew who playing against who._

_"__Yeah, against the Generation of Miracles."_

_Silence._

_Slamming the locker, Reo leaned his back against it. "Coach, there's something else, is it?"_

_Mibuchi Reo is our team's Vice Captain. A very strong and talented basket player, he plays as our Shooting Guard. Inside and outside the court, he's pretty uptight. He likes to keep things in line and gets annoyed easily when Kotaro and Eikichi would fool around. Either way, he's cheerful and a big-brotherly figure. He's a bit feminine, eventually when Kotaro calls him 'Reo-nee.' He looks out for us as we look out for him. _

_Our lady-coach glanced at Reo, whose face was surprisingly unreadable and serious. I can only think of something that is not good. Well, it's always not good._

_Staring at my coach, then to Reo, then to the rest of my teammates, I sighed wearily. In response, I only stood up from the bench, carefully adjusting my sports bra-like spandex, causing them to blink in confusion. I know what they were thinking now but it's already been common—the elimination thing. Previous middle school teams that we went up against, they all seem to keep me blocked, every time, to keep me from being unable to score for my team. That never stopped me, stopped us from crushing them to bits. It's a forever cycle, if I say so myself._

_ "__There's nothing too startling about what you're all thinking, Coach," I spoke softly, rubbing on my right arm. "We always have that coming." I added, tying my hair into a high pony-tail. "But that makes me wonder about something for once," I murmured but loud enough for all of them to hear. "Am I playing firsthand or at the two remaining quarters?"_

_"__It is not startling, I know, but I have a strong feeling that this is different, Kamiko-san," Kuso-san crossed her arms, her tone indicating that she somehow is annoyed at my lack of expressing emotions, I guess. "They're marking you against their Ace, Aomine Daiki. From what I have seen in their previous matches, he has the same ability as you have. The Right of Speed. Undoubtedly, he's stronger than the rest of his teammates."_

_'__Sounds oddly familiar,' I sighed at the mentioned name._

_"__I thought of making Hanamiya play for the whole game, but I'll leave it all to you, Kamiko-san." The coach smiled a little, making me quirk a brow. "You should really go make the most out of this game since it's your last year."_

_At the corner of my eye, Hanamiya Makoto just grinned rather sadistically to himself and I frowned at the sight of it. From the looks of it, I have a very bad feeling of what he's planning to do during the game._

_Hanamiya Makoto, a schoolmate, is a genius with an exceptional IQ well over 160. He uses his intelligence not only in school, but also to analyze the possible attack patterns of basketball, the reason why Stealing has been his most profound specialty during any attack. He has a sadistic nature. He loves to put others in misery and laugh at their suffering, unlike the rest of us. He doesn't like it if things don't go his way. _

_Reo found out what Hanamiya was really capable of at the near-end of the first year. He told us about it, coming to a mutual decision to bench him during the future matches. When Hanamiya discovered the reason behind his suddenly benched for the rest of middle school, he turned more sadistic than ever, causing constant rioting within the team. I keep my basketball free of anything relating to Hanamiya Makoto at every possible chance I get. I wouldn't want to stain my hands just because "the only people who can survive are the strongest and the fittest." or so says the Uncrowned Kings' mantra since first year._

_"__Don't mind him, Miko-chan, let's get our head in the game against Teiko," Hayama Kotaro, our Small Forward and the most childish minded of us, smiled, patting my shoulder, causing me to glance at the carrot head in confusion but grinned in response nonetheless._

_"__We're going to win!" Our new first string regular and Power Forward, and the only 2__nd__ year, Ribuki Saichi, chirped._

_"__Don't forget me," Nebuya Eikichi, our Center and a rude glutton, grunted._

_Reo clapped his hands with a big grin, putting his hand on the center. "Ready, Hanzo?"_

_We looked at each other and shrugged, happily placing our hands over his, our coach who was shaking her head in amusement, jumped in._

_"__Hanzo, fight!"_

_Hanzo Junior High, 94 with Teiko Junior High, 105 in the fourth quarter with only 5 minutes left wasn't what I was—what we were all expecting. A timeout was given and we all sat on the couch with the feeling of too much exhaustion that coursed through our bodies. I sat up, a bottle in hand, watching Teiko's team in the state like ours. I spotted a close friend of a redhead, Akashi Seijuro, who was panting in concentration and tilted my head in curiosity._

_"__He's changed a lot," I inwardly smiled then immediately frowned. "His team… it is so much like ours. No love in the game. They only find in crushing others like we do." Immediately, I remembered the reason why I stopped coming by in their trainings at the start of third year and this was it._

_As if he knew he was being stared at, Akashi glanced at me without being so obvious by his teammates. He gave me a small smile in acknowledgement that earned him a silent giggle from me. I noticed his lips moved in a swift motion, as if trying to tell me something, but too soon, he looked away to gather up with the rest of his teammates._

_I raised my eyebrows at what he said, leaving me unusually unsettled._

**_"__Watch out for your teammate, Hanamiya Makoto."_**

_As we were all called out into the court to resume the last minutes of the fourth quarter, I noticed something changed in his team's pattern. For the last three quarters, their Ace was not marked against me. Instead, it was my blonde best friend, remembering the earlier quarters._

_An exceptional copy-cat, Kise Ryota. He played for Teiko at the start of the 2__nd__ year, but his skills earned him his way to the regulars' bench in a heartbeat. I wasn't all surprised when he joined the basketball team. He had the skills and the potential ever since he was younger, plus the fact that I was the one who introduced the sport to him._

_Kise Ryota is a childhood friend and was my classmate from 5__th__ grade til' we finished grade school. Since Sei was moved to the Special A section, I got stuck in the A section with the too-cheerful and charming blonde, Ryota. At first he was rather a big cry baby because he was a new student and was constantly picked on because of his long eyelashes that made him look like a girl. No one wanted to stand up for him because he was an outsider, moving from America to live here in Japan. Without any much thought, I made him stick with me. Those students who had been bullying him were unable to do so because I was constantly with him—they knowing fully that I was also close to Sei._

_Knowing his strengths and weakness because of hanging out with him and the rest of his fellow teammates almost every day, having your moves copied can be a real pain in the ass and thankfully, my way of basketball is not what he can easily copy. It's formless, no pattern, and it holds limitless possibilities. The 'Megami reijingu'_ _is not for nothing._

_This time around, I was marked by the mentioned Teiko's Ace, Aomine Daiki. He's the blue-haired tanned teen that Coach had spoken about in the lockers. I blinked in surprise as I watched the tanned teen walked up to me, with a smirk, as I was fighting the urge to outwardly sigh in front of him._

_I've seen him once or twice during Teiko's night trainings at their gym, but only at a distance. Since Atsu-kun, Sei, Satsuki, Shinta-kun, and Tetsuya all went home ahead, it was always around that time when Ryota and him goes on one-on-one, always leaving my cheery blonde best friend at the losing side. In some of their duels that I've ran into, I recognized the tanned teen's style of play almost immediately, remembering __**that **__day in 2__nd__ grade. _

_The fact that I lost against him before, he improved himself more, probably preparing himself to face me again, if ever it would happen._

_I find the one-on-one matches quite funny, especially when Ryota tells the tanned male to go again, giving the tanned male an irk and a sigh of exhaustion. _

_He was the only Generation of Miracles member whom I never had a conversation since I never always see him with the others, possibly with Satsuki and sometimes with Tetsuya. I chose not to show myself regardless of how many opportunities. I wanted our 2__nd__ meeting to be on court, not elsewhere. _

_And this was it._

_Frowning, I positioned myself before him. We were both ready. We faced each other, arms and legs in defense position. _

_Glancing again at him without being too obvious, I noticed he was cute up close, reminding me of a younger tanned boy version of him whom I played with in 2__nd__ grade. I guess if he smiles often like he used to, I'd say he would be undeniably handsome for a teenager like him. Shaking my head in disappointment, I cursed myself for checking him out and looked at the referee who was about to sound the whistle, instead. At the corner of my eye, much to my annoyance, the opposing Ace smirked wider and I knew he knew I was checking him out._

_Cracking my neck to get me to relax, I smirked slowly, causing him to glance at my reaction. _

**_Are you sure that this is the right time, Kamiko? _**_I heard Akkiko speak in a whisper—a kind of whisper, despite she trying to hide it, sounded eager._

**_'_****_Yeah, now is the right time, Akkiko. Remember that 2_****_nd_****_ grade deal? This is it. Do what you have to do.'_**

_I felt every single one of them stared at me in confusion and surprise, except my fellow teammates and Sei and unexpectedly, Shinta-kun. I shrugged away the feeling and closed my eyes, breathing normally and evenly right before the whistle blow loud._

_Clearly, but unintentionally, I heard hushed voices from the audiences._

_'__T-That's impossible! I thought she was a guy ever since the 1__st__ Nationals!'_

_'__W-What?! S-She's one of the best basketball players in history right!?'_

_'__Hey! She was featured in the Monthly Basketball Magazine every single month whose skills matched or may have surpassed the Generation of Miracles! That's who they call the … t-the Raging Goddess!'_

_The sound of 'praises' were deafening, but nevertheless, it felt good to be revered like that. I might really be a guy for all I care. Don't blame me for wearing a sports bra that's flattening my chest._

_Smirking wider, my eyes snapped open, the feeling of myself was completely replaced by another. _

_As I succumb to my own consciousness to let Akkiko take my place, my body began to still as to hibernate._

**_'_****_I'm leaving it up to you, Akkiko.'_**

_My physical body then responded with a sadistic smirk as it followed to position itself again, I knowing that this is really Akkiko's work now._

_"__Hai," My voice—more like, Akkiko's voice was heard, catching the tanned male in surprise, though he was still unmoving. _

_"__Let's go 110% then, shall we, Aomine?" _

_At the start of the whistle, I heard Kotaro and Reo signaling about it to the rest of our team, something with "Akkiko's back. Let's get ready." The adrenaline rush was superb. A fraction of a step back was made by Aomine, who recovered immediately after my sudden transformation, getting his head in the game. Akkiko, too, was in the game. There's no stopping us now._

_10 seconds and counting less, we were 1 point behind, with Teiko still in the lead._

_130-131_

_In a heartbeat, I was already in control of my body again and I tsked, panting heavily. Switching places with Akkiko really is more exhausting and it's shortening my stamina rapidly. As I was trying to normal my breathing, I saw Hanamiya marking himself against Aomine. A rush of panic surged in me as I looked at my coach, who was shouting something like, "Hanamiya! That's Kamiko-san's mark! Back off!"_

_'__How the hell did he get there? There was no timeout given to switch!'_

_I searched for my other teammates in the court, then our bench. Coach is the only one there in the bench with three of our usual reserve players. I glanced back at the sadistic teen as he blocked the tanned teen, who was getting infuriated at our Steal-specialist. But that didn't catch my eye, in fact. The position Hanamiya was doing… _

_No._

_Not this again. I knew something like this will happen. The look from the sadist's face earlier in the lockers was the only proof there is._

_A sudden rush of energy surged through, leaving me and my confused thoughts no choice but to sprint towards the tanned teen, just in time to block him with my right arm as Hanamiya's elbow hit my shoulder solid straight to the socket. The impact was too excruciating, a part of me knowing that this attack is definitely intentional. I hissed at the impact that sent me a step back, hanging my head low. Clutching on my shoulder, where a reddish bruise has already been forming rapidly, it sent me into a daze. I barely noticed my teammates running towards me in horror as I stepped back once more, trying to regain my focus. _

**_"_****_You'll pay for this, Makoto!" _**

_A voice that I know so well, Sei's voice thick with fury, laced with death as clear as cut glass, as the soft red crown marched towards our sadistic teammate, who was only shrugging in delight as the raven crown flicked his eyes towards me, as if saying, __'__Heh, Karadai… I knew you would see this coming … Such a clever little girl, but unfortunately, that was really just for you…' As Sei tried to put his hands on Makoto, he was stopped by their purple-head giant and Center, Murasakibara Atsushi or Astu-kun as I call him, who looked bored as he held Sei without any effort needed, who was struggling in anger and tremendous fury of an aura was present around the soft red crown._

_I tsked in pain as I averted my attention from Makoto to the other players on court. It was a total riot, added with the audience in complete disorder._

_'__W-What happened with the girl?! Is she alright?!'_

_'__She got hit by her own teammate to protect the opposing player!'_

_'__Why did she do that?!'_

_The voices from the audiences were in such rise that I had to cover my ears to block them all out. It felt too much._

_"__Momoi! Get the first aid kit fast!" That sounded like the four-eyed greenhead Beast of Teiko, Shinta-kun._

_"__Hai, Mido-kun!" That was Satsuki._

_ "__He intentionally injured Mikocchi! Isn't that supposed to be all the proof there is to kick him out of the Nationals?!" That was Kise._

_"… __Makoto! You know this from the back of your head that this is more than a foul!" That was Kotaro, who despite being the most out-going of us, shouted angrily at the sad-excuse of a teammate._

_"__Kotaro, we need a cool head! You don't want to get kicked out now, do you?!" That was Eikichi and a glutton like him, he was right._

_"__Shintaro, where the hell are your scissors!? I need to make sure Makoto feels the wrath of hell for hurting Kamiko!" That was Sei, for sure._

_"__Karadai-senpai! O-Oi! It's us, Saichi and Hayama-senpai! We have to get you to the hospital—"_

_I only shook my head in response, sending them in surprise and over worry. _

_Suddenly, I can't face them anymore. I don't know why, but the feeling was there, present and eating me alive. I was already nearing the exit towards the hallway when I heard someone calling for me._

_"__Miko!" _

_I checked to see who it was, and it was… Aomine Daiki. At the sight of him lit by the dimly lights, running towards me, noticing his face and voice lined with worry and regret, my tears threatened to fall. I shook my head, trying to stop them from falling. I can't risk this. I can't go smushy or softy just because I got injured during the game, on my last year. This isn't supposed to happen! Was this what Sei was trying to signal me? _

_I was looking down, my back against the wall. I never felt so tired in my life. So much has happened, some things that weren't supposed to happen still happened. Clutching on my shoulder as if I was holding on my life, I gritted in pain, causing me to slide against the wall then down the floor and pant heavily. I felt him slowed his pace as he noticed my movements, and walked towards me. Watching him silently as he leaned down to level with me, I saw his eyes—his blue eyes cloud with so much regret and guilt and I avoided his gaze all together, making me sigh at his warm nearness, sadly being the first one to break this heavy silence. _

_"__I don't need your pity."_

_"__You're not getting it."_

_My honey-glazed eyes find their attention back at the tanned teen, who only frowned. He was gazing at me once more, his blue eyes scanning my face and I jigged, snapping my eyes tightly closed, as I felt his long slender fingers gently and caringly stroked my face._

_Suddenly aware that my cheeks are wet from the tears that uncontrollably poured down, I sniffed, shaking my head in frustration, pushing his hand away with my free hand rather harshly._

_"__I did what I had to do, Aomine. I took the blow for you and I can still play! This is nothing!" Not allowing to crush my pride, I tried standing up against the wall, but ended up on the floor again as I yelped in pain. He watched me with so much sadness as I tried once more but yet again failed._

_"__D-Damnit! This is so stupid! I n-need to stay strong for my t-team!" _

_I gasped, realizing that I was being hugged. Long tanned arms wrapped around me as gently as possible, feeling his breathing against my neck, a sharp pang on my chest occurred, widening my eyes in surprise. The smell of a mixture of sweat and mint filled my nostrils, but I didn't care. This gesture alone made my head and heart thump hard in hurt._

_"__I c-can still play… I can… can't…" I felt my throat tightened, my tears continuously flowing._

_"__Miko… cry all you want… I'll stay here. Be a stubborn ass but I don't care. I'll take care of you."_

_Aomine voiced out with so much hurt and that was all it took for me to finally cry in his arms._

_"__A-Aomine!" _

**End of Flashback**

_He_ stayed until my eyes dried, with no tears to cry out. _He_ took me to the hospital immediately after to get me rehabilitated and x-rayed. _He_ managed to keep me accompany even though Satsuki and her team, even my team visited me nearly every day, but I did keep reminding myself as to why I stopped coming by the Teiko gym at our third year. So I did request the nurse not to allow any visitors in my room anymore, especially Sei. _He_ must have known about it, so even before the day I made that request, _he _didn't visit anymore, until I was released from the hospital.

I know it was no use digging up the past; it was not also worth remembering, so I have no idea why I am reminiscing the past now. Leaning against the bench, I looked up the blue skies. The color contrasted nicely with the fluffy clouds and I find it weird on why I only noticed it just now. Looks like I have to savor this moment then.

Suddenly, a thought of a tanned teen crossed my mind and on instinct, I felt my cheeks heat red as I tried to brush that thought away embarrassingly. I barely knew the guy so why am I thinking about him?

"Why am I even thinking about that guy anyway? I don't like him!" I groaned in frustration as I start to talk to Akkiko—to myself if there were people even present. I can only imagine Akkiko laughing as I mentally throw daggers at her. Feeling my cheeks burn red as I started to get annoyed, I crossed my arms immaturely.

I know it sucks, but I never really pay attention to guys. Not that I hate them or anything… they are just no part of my agenda, if you could put it like that. So yeah, no first love, no first crush—well, I might have had a small crush on Ryota one time 5th grade and I don't remember how I developed a crush on him in the first place. Yep, that was definitely it.

Scratch that… First love? Well… I might have loved someone. Emphasize on the word 'might.' It's still unclear.

_You know… You've actually loathed basketball by the time the previous National championships came around._

To that, I rested my chin on my knuckles then as I leaned forward in a crouch position, thinking over Akkiko's note. She's right, though. I had come to loath basketball. I knew that. I realized what I also had become by then. I wasn't any different from my former teammates and even _them_ eventually. The reason to why I turned into something like that… I wonder.

_So you've forgotten how you lost yourself?_

"Since there's nothing that you don't know about me, I don't think there would be any use in lying as well," I merely shrugged as I watched the sun slowly rising.

_It's for me to know and for you to find out._

I rolled my eyes and hanged my head low in frustration.

"You're not helping me, Akkiko. How would I even know?" I sighed as I leaned against the back rest, my eyes on the clouds. "I have this nagging feeling that it has something to do with me."

_Maybe or maybe not. Who knows? I would love to spill the beans but you have to learn on your own._

Akkiko smiled a little and I shook my head.

"Ya think? I have done a lot of learning on my own in the past. Akkiko, I thought you're to guide me," I half-whined, causing the latter to 'snort'.

_It's not written in… the license agreement. _She snickered. _I don't help, if you've forgotten. I destroy. I would help in some cases, but not this. _

"Sometimes, I wish you were real."

I felt Akkiko 'tensed', even if she was in my consciousness.

_You would be scared shitless._

I blinked, as Akkiko warningly said.

"At my own twin? Why would I be scared shitless?"

_Because we're literally identical. That's about it. We're monozygotic twins._

"Really? That sounds nice… I wonder how Tetsu would react once he knows that he actually had two older twin sisters instead of one?"

That made Akkiko silent and I wonder if I said something out of the line.

_"__Is it just me or are you literally looking stupid, talking to yourself?"_

That voice dripping with more arrogance than ever, the feeling of his wide smirk across his more matured and handsome tanned face without any need of looking at him and the whisper of his faint pant.

Well… that's the _same _person I was stressed, or so, thinking about a moment ago while I was 'talking' to Akkiko.

Turning to see a now-taller tanned teen, drenched in sweat, wearing his workout outfit that consisted of basketball shorts and a dark sleeveless shirt, he looked at me with his hand on his hip, his smirk growing wider by the second.

"I'd like to assume that you heard nothing of any sort. I should get going," my heart leaped in my throat as I faked a cough, standing up from the bench, avoiding his piercing gaze.

"I've heard enough. You should stay though. I've only just got here," Aomine lazily stretched as he said that, following an uncomfortable silence.

I admit it's been awkward just standing there, fidgeting. It's been some months that passed since _that _and we never bothered to stay in contact. Not that I hold a grudge on him or whatsoever. It was really fine.

I guess.

"It's been a while since the last time we saw each other, Miko."

It was him who broke the silence and I was thankful that he did. On instinct, I blushed, this time because of how he makes my name sound so… seductive with his raspy tone of voice. Trying to hide my own embarrassment, I cleared my throat, not giving any effort to look at him.

"Uh… yeah… it's been nearly 7 months." On reflex, I touched my right arm that was supported by the full-arm spandex. Giving a sigh, I looked straight at him, whose eyes training on my arm rather intensely.

"How are you coping up with your right arm?"

I made no movement as he fired the question to me. "Well and fast, I suppose. I've been training with my left arm ever since I got my brace off 4 months ago. I might not be as good as I used to, but this will do." I managed to smile a little at the frowning tanned teen.

Some people say that to be an ambidextrous, an individual should somehow be born with it. Others say that it can be developed by practice, young or old. It was said to create new pathways for the brain cells to explore, thus, making more use of the brain than the usual 10% of its capacity. I've been slowly but steadily exercising my right arm at the same time practicing with my left. Since my left arm isn't my dominant part before the accident, I've been having a hard time using it since just holding something small and lightweight sends it to slight shaking. It's normal. Sei told me that even if I did gain what I needed from my left, I should never take my right arm for granted.

**Flashback: Two weeks before the start of their high school year**

_"__What's the use of my right arm when I can play with my left in the future? With almost every training I had with my right, I did with my left. Somehow, it's better than before," I glanced at him, panting lightly from our daily-to-weekly one-on-one sessions, with both parties on the usual tie._

_"__Who knows? There are situations in the court that only your right arm can handle. Don't be apathetic about it," Sei said matter-of-factly and sighed, placing his hand on his hip, gazing at me with his soft heterochromatic eyes. "A nurtured ambi is better than a natural ambi, if I say so myself. I told you that if you still wanted to play basketball then start from square one."_

_As if on cue, his intense gaze landed on my right full-arm spandex. At the moment, I wanted to know what he was thinking as he was looking at my arm, but then I realized from the murderous look in his eyes, he was clearly thinking about __**that**__ person who did this to me._

_"__Seijuro, I know what you're thinking and I don't like it," I shook my head, inwardly sighing, dismissing that awful look with a slight wave of my hand. "Don't even think about __**him**__. It is not worth it." _

_The fact that I called him by his full first name was enough to snap him out of his… excruciating fantasies._

_The redhead moved his attention back to my honey-glazed orbs and there, the look on his face was already gone, replaced with his usual straight face—the kind of face when you will never know what he's really thinking, but then, to me, it's not a good face that even I don't want to see, especially upclose._

_"__Not worth it?" He repeated that last part that I said and began to laugh humorlessly. It rang in the empty gym that we were using in, since we wouldn't want anyone even our teammates know that we've been practicing towards my recovery. "You are making me laugh!" The red crown took a step forward to me, cutting our one-meter distance, as his heterochromatic eyes stayed level with my eyes—that gaze alone unknowingly sending chills into my spine. "Believe me, Kami, it's worth every single second," I swore his voice was sounding more and more of an unsatisfied psychopath as he drones more. "I'll make sure he'll—"_

_"—__Never see the light at the end of the tunnel?" _

_That made him stop in his tracks, his eyes widening just a fraction, but in a split second looking as normal as ever, though I caught sight of his surprise as quick. I tilted my head, knowing I hit the mark. I walked closer to him, eventually closing the gap between us. We stood at nearly the same height so I never had to look up to him like I do towards the others because of the wide height gap difference._

_"__Sei, I heard your conversation with your teammates the day of my admission," I began softly, my left hand resting on my right shoulder as my left arm lightly pressing against my chest. "You don't have to… return the favor, if you will. It's only going to feed his sadistic nature more." _

_My chest felt heavy as I continued. "As his former fellow teammate of three years, I know what he was really capable of, more than anything, from the back of my head. I can pay him back myself 30, 60, and a hundred fold."_

_I pursed my lips as I faced towards the sun that was already setting, taking a step forward to let its gentle rays hit my glistening skin. _

_"__I don't want you or them getting involved in something like this. He targeted me alone so I have to settle with him alone. Stupid, don't you think, Sei?" I laughed dryly to myself but immediately my face turned grim._

_"__But then again, you all ended up getting involved because of me. You all felt responsible for me even if you didn't have to. Should I even take that blow in the first place? If I haven't, will things stay the same? Do you even know how it feels to doubt yourself after everything that has happened?" _

_I fired question after question, not expecting any answer from the red crown, which was silently watching and listening to my worthless rants. I gritted my teeth as I curled my hands into fists in anger. I was so frustrated to the point when I couldn't even accept myself. I don't care about anything except basketball and every single one of them knows this clearly. It's been my everything, my life, and I don't want to waste it._

_Out of nowhere, his familiar slender arms were wrapped around my waist, hugging me from behind. The warm breath of his mouth brushed against my nape as he drew me closer, with my back against his chest. I tensed at the abrupt contact, but eventually relaxed as he rested his forehead on my right shoulder gently, conscious of my injury. I began to wonder what was wrong, since he rarely executes any physical contact towards anyone, especially to me, despite being the best of friends since 1__st__ grade._

_"__Sei—"_

_"__Shut up. You know that I don't do physical gestures like this but for now and for you alone, I'm crushing my pride. Just this once, so savor it as much as you can," his warm breath tickled my shoulder as his soft yet arrogant tone was muffled behind me, causing me to inwardly roll my eyes at this sweet and unpredictable gesture of his. _

_"__It is an order." Was his tired whisper, even as I felt his hug tighten, as if he didn't want this moment to end, not wanting to let me go. _

_For the first time after 6 months, a warm smile played across my lips. I closed my eyes, placing my hand over his head, gently stroking his soft red hair. I became aware of my tears as they rolled ticklishly on my cheeks, but it didn't stop me from smiling._

_"__Thanks, Sei."_

**End of Flashback**

Sei was awkward at comforting a girl, but I knew he did his best to comfort me in his own little way and it was enough.

I was fully aware the silence surrounding us again—though it's a bearable kind of silence than minutes ago. With no guarantee about who will be the next one to break the silence again, I placed my hand on my hip as I awkwardly scratched my nape with the other, looking anywhere but him. I am not one to make good conversations.

* * *

><p><strong>Aomine's PoV<strong>

I frowned once more as I noticed her fidgeting again, standing there just less than a meter away from where I was standing. I watched her move, placing her hand on her hip and scratching her nape, looking at anywhere but me.

_'__She clearly doesn't know how to continue conversations,'_ I thought, amused.

Her face, which I mentally took note of, was flushed, her eyebrows slightly knitted together, almost as if she was frowning. Small beads of sweat rolled down her temples, suggesting that she went for a run like I did just now. Her skyblue hair, tied in a knot, was slightly in disarray with some of the hair from her outgrown bangs falling over her honey-glazed eyes. Mesmerized as always, my slightly droopy eyes wandered towards her pink lips and somehow, me and my thoughts screeched to a sudden halt.

Actually, this is the third time I've seen her up close. The second time was when we were marked against each other during the 3rd Nationals.

_'__When was the first time, exactly?'_ I wondered.

**Flashback: 2****nd**** grade**

_An afternoon when the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. I recalled that I was supposed to be walking home with my pinkhaired best friend when she dropped by my classroom, saying that she couldn't come with because she had to go straight home due to family emergency. I never did pay attention so I really didn't mind because I wanted to be by myself for unknown reasons. That day hasn't been all good like I expected. _

_In the first place, heck, I wasn't even looking forward to go school that day, but it was Satsuki who forced me to go._

_On the way home, I remembered spotting a basketball court by the sidewalk. I saw the adults were leaving after playing and thought that I should play to cool off. As I neared the court, I caught sight of two children about my age wearing a school uniform that was similar to mine, suggesting that they go to the same school that I do. Curiosity got to me as I cautioned near the fence to see who they were. _

_It was a skyblue haired girl and a redhead boy. On a duel. I heard laughter and giggles as the pair played. Leaning to see on their faces from outside the fence where I was standing, I don't remember seeing them around. Or then again, I don't pay attention to everyone in school. I didn't realize that a grin was formed across my lips as I eagerly watched them play basketball. My attention, almost that whole time, was focused solely on the girl as the skyblue crown dodged rather swiftly the redhead's block, leaping backwards as she shoots the ball into the basket with so much fluidity. My eyes widened that as she shoots, her position—she was almost as parallel to the ground, touchdown with a faint tap on the ground as the ball got in the basket._

_For some reason after watching, I thought I wanted to play against her at the moment. I had the feeling to get to know her through one-on-one if it's even possible._

_Heck, from what he has seen with my own eyes, she's by far a worthy opponent to go against!_

_As I was still deciding on what to really do, I felt a light tap on the shoulder, causing me to jump a bit at the sudden contact. Whipping my head around to see who it was, it was the same girl but up close. Frantically I looked back at the court then at the girl then vice versa. I couldn't believe it. The whole time that I thought that they were still there, ah, I inwardly face palmed._

_"__Did you enjoy watching the duel back here?" _

_The skyblue crown asked cheerfully, grinning at me and I was taken aback to her beauty more than her question. _

_'__She's… pretty and her aura is so bright,' I, again, mentally facepalmed, cursing myself. _

_Why am I even noticing that firsthand? I mean, yeah, she's pretty, but what got my attention were her skyblue hair and her eyes. And her eyes… so full of life yet… it is a few pairs of eyes that could never be read._

_I then noticed the redhead coming up next to her, who, he noted, had a really distinguished authoritative aura around him. So intimidating from the girl next to him._

_"__U-Uh, yeah. I thought of playing before going home but I saw that you occupied right after the other people left, so I guess I had to sit it out for a while and watch." I didn't remember being all nervous as I answered her question, even I was scratching my nape awkwardly, trying to avoid her gaze._

_"__Eh?! You should have joined us, Dai-kun! I know it is fun just watching, but, believe me, playing is more fun, especially when you go against other players more experienced than yourself!"_

_"__E-Eh? How did you—"_

_I stared at her in suspicion, causing the girl to cross her arms with a pout._

_"__You don't need to look at me like that! Anyway, how did I know your name? You're in the Section B, yes? Aomine Daiki." The girl stated, smiling as she uncrossed her arms to spin the basketball with ease as the redhead just stood next to her quietly, with two bags on his shoulders. I looked at her rather weirdly as I tried to comprehend what she was saying. _

_"__Well, to be honest, it was __**him **__who knows everything…" she continued to talk as she jabbed a thumb in the redhead's direction. "Or so he says."_

_I followed the direction she was pointing as then rested my gaze at the redhead, who rolled his eyes, looking back at the empty court. I then looked back at the skyblue crown whose eyes never left mine while spinning the ball._

_From the back of my head, I __**knew **__that playing has always been more fun than just watching from the bleachers, watching from afar. I have known that since I was 5. The hype that one gets from playing; the adrenaline in the game. It's never going to compare with merely watching the game for entertainment._

_"__What do you say? Let's take it on one-on-one right now. If I win, promise me a bucket of potato mojos with a sour n' cream dip," The girl tilted her head as she tossed the ball straight to me who caught it in the process. The redhead beside her sends death glares to her, muttering inaudible curses, but she dismissed them with a slight wave of her hand and looked at me once more._

_"__What if I win?" I couldn't help but ask her._

_The girl crossed her arms as she pondered on what it is in it for me. _

_And you know what, as you would think that I didn't look nervous on the outside, then you're wrong. __**I am shaking like a mad man on the inside.**_

_"__If you win…" A pair of honey-glazed eyes gazed at my blue orbs and I sucked in my breath. She looked and sounded so angelic. Her face seemed perfect. I wondered if she was all real._

_She looked too real to me._

_"__Promise me the second time we would meet would be in the stadium court, marked against each other."_

**End of Flashback**

I wondered about that younger girl in my memory. During our duel, she never held back and it was what I wanted. Her honey-glazed eyes were on my own the whole time and I thought I wouldn't be able to concentrate. I saw that she was all the more better than I was and began to think that I was going to lose at the deal but unexpectedly, I won against her.

I would promise that they would meet again someday and until now, I held onto it. Ever since that day, though stupidly, I searched for her, even at school since I remembered that she wore a uniform from my school that time. It came to the point that even at the grade school graduation, I expected to see her present, but in the end, she wasn't.

I never wavered from my promise, despite everything.

_'__She had the most vibrant sky blue hair I've seen in my entire life,' _I thought as I glanced at the taller-yet-shorter girl facing me, as I was unaware that a warm smile played across my lips.

I've found her, seemingly surprised at myself for immediately recognizing her during _that _National championship.

The question is:

_'__Does she remember me at all? Or the deal we made since we were in 2__nd__ grade?'_

As I was staring shamelessly at her, she cleared her throat to get my attention and she did. I blinked in surprise, even as a light blush powdered my cheeks, immediately looking away before I embarrassed myself. My actions somehow made her giggle, with me side-glancing at her wondering what was amusing her.

"You know… you remind me of someone from 2nd grade," The girl looked at me then back at the sun that was rising behind the dome.

Those words made my heart beat irregularly. It was unreal. The feeling was surreal. Was there any chance that she would remember me from _that _day? If she did, how would I even respond to that?

I inwardly face palmed.

_'__Blame it all to fate for not preparing my heart and mind for this.'_

"Yeah? How's that?" I tucked my neckline nervously, trying to keep myself composed.

"We played against each other just once and I was able to tell that he might be able to stand on equal grounds with me sooner or later," Kamiko continued, tucking her hands on her hoodie's side pockets. "I was surprised when I realized that we had the exact same play style, though in different levels, making the duel all the more fun," she smiled a little, to my surprise but I stayed silent as she continued to talk.

"The funny thing I remembered about that time was that I made a really stupid and, I guess, a cheesy deal with him. I clearly could picture Sei's face at that time, looking all sulky and gloomy when I proposed the deal," the skyblue crown chuckled a little.

_So that redhead back then was really the Captain._

I bit my lower lip a little, trying not to blush about that fact that she labeled our deal stupid and cheesy, though I never really thought of it that way even once.

"I told the boy that if I win, he had to buy me a bucket of—" _'Potato mojos with a sour n' cream dip. I know.' _

"If he won, what did you promise him?" I looked at her, patiently waiting for her answer.

"I told him that if he won, I would make him promise that—" Just about then, her phone rang, making her sigh, making me groaned inwardly as she answered it, holding the phone against her ear with her right hand.

"Good morning, Riko … Ah? Alright, will tell him for you… E-Eh? Bakagami-? Okay, see you later…" The girl sighed heavily as she ended the call and tucked her phone inside her pocket, then looked at me, smiling rather sympathetically.

"I guess we have to part from here."

_Don't leave. Don't go._

I managed to smile, ignoring the ache of my chest. I wanted to stay with her. I wanted to talk to her. I have so many questions that I wanted to ask her, but I guess this would have to wait for another time.

"Uh, yeah. I guess so."

_I've kept my promise! Why can't you remember me?_

"It was good seeing you again."

_Do you not… need me anymore? Do you hate me?_

"Yeah. See you around, Miko."

_Why can't you call me by my first name like you did with the others? I like you since that day._

I then quietly watched as she started walking away from me, my chest feeling heavier by the steps she makes away from me.

_Why can't I reach you? Why can't I give up on you? Why do you haunt me constantly?_

Shaking my head in disappointment, I turned away, my back against her figure. I couldn't bring myself to ask these questions out loud. She would think that I'm crazy and would never believe me. Worse, she might not want to see me again.

Just about the moment when I started to walk away but still within earshot, I heard her part with those words that would forever reignite the fire in my soul.

_"__If you think that I would forget you, that's far from impossible. I am as ever grateful to you for keeping such a promise, Daiki."_


	4. Chapter 4

**HELLO Minna-san! Finally...! My first short author's note. lol! So yes, I've seen how the story is progressing... and! How it's earning 300+ views and 100+ visitors from many places around the world in two weeks! 8 followers and 8 favorites? This is enough to inspire me to continue this story! Thank you for the continuous support, my fellow readers! I hope this would never bore you out! The more the followers and favorites, the more chapters posted! Keep in touch, a'ight? :-) Love lots~ -D.J.**

* * *

><p>Later that day, the last bell had gone, signaling the end of the school day. As usual, the Seirin basketball team members were all gathered in the changing room, changing out of their school uniforms into their more appropriate basketball attires. Kamiko was simply sitting on the corner bench with earphone of her iPod in her ears as she looks out the small window, waiting for the boys to finish changing.<p>

By now, the boys are used to being half-naked around her, though it had freaked out some of them in the beginning, especially when Kamiko had walked into the changing room when they were all in various states of undressing without even batting an eyelid.

Most girls would either blush or faint at the sight of half-naked guys, but not Kamiko. To the skyblue crown's credit, however, she would at least avert her eyes from them, proving that she have some decency. Izuki and Hyuuga privately thought that Kamiko might have been already used to having boys change around her by now, seeing how she had been part of the Uncrowned Kings back in middle school.

As they were at the finishing of their wardrobe change, Koganei spotted a magazine lying on the bench, an issue of _Monthly Basketball Magazine._

"Eh?" Koganei picked up the magazine even as the other guys finished changing. "Didn't this issue come out when Kamiko-chan was in Hanzo?"

Hyuuga stepped up next to Koganei and flipped through the pages of the magazine. "All the players were featured, the rest of the Uncrowned Kings, even the Generation of Miracles." He noted. "Kamiko…" He frowned as he leafed through the pages and spotted her column next to Akashi Seijuro, widening his eyes. "E-Eh? She has no picture but h-her column's right next to Teiko's former captain!"

The rest of the first years gathered around Hyuuga and Koganei as they took a peek at the magazine.

" '… The only girl in an all-boys group, Karadai Kamiko's role in her team stayed relatively unknown,' " Hyuuga read out loud. " 'But despite that, her skills are revered greatly by her team, especially the Generation of Miracles; standing on equal grounds with the Generation of Miracles' Akashi Seijuro, one of the two basketball frontiers in Japan.' "

"H-Huwe?!" Koganei stepped back, as if afraid as he stared at Kamiko and the magazine back and forth and frowned, hanging his head in dismay. "I felt stupid at the moment."

Kamiko said nothing for several moments as she tugged her earphones out of her ears. "I'm nothing like the rest of them. Uncrowned Kings and the Generation of Miracles alike. They were the true prodigies. I'm merely nurtured to be equal to them," she said no more after that.

"But this is something! You were clearly on equal grounds with the rest of them, isn't that something to be proud of?" Koganei can only blink at Tamaki's short response.

Hyuuga patted Koganei on the shoulder, pushing his eyeglasses up his nose bridge, glancing at Kamiko who was already frowning. "From how she responded, it might not be something to be really proud of, Koganei. Don't push the subject anymore."

Fukuda Hiroshi, one of the three other freshmen that had joined the basketball team alongside Kamiko and Kagami burst into the changing room just then." She's back! The coach is back!" he quipped. "We're going to play a practice match."

"I wonder who we are up against?" Hyuuga wondered as he looked at Fukuda.

"No idea at all, senpai," Fukuda mused. "But she was skipping for some reason though."

Hyuuga paled instantly like a ghost of Christmas. "She was _skipping_?" he nearly screeched in horror, his voice going three octaves higher than usual. "Be careful, everyone," He cautioned, looking at each of the faces present in the changing room, and Kamiko looked up at him in curiosity. "If she's skipping, our opponent's going to be real tough."

* * *

><p>"I know, Akashicchi," A cheery blonde said, his cell-phone pressed to one ear even as he paused in front of Seirin High's big school gates. "Eh? Is this it?" He murmured, taking a quick glance at the sign of the school. "Yeah, looks like it," He then turned his attention to the caller on the other end of the line. "Pssh, don't worry too much. I'll check up on Mikocchi for you."<p>

He then ended the call, slipping the cell-phone into his pocket. The cheery blonde took a quick glance at his watch then back at the school before him. The blonde had on a gray blazer over his white school polo, with a dark brown tie tied loosely around his collar—a contrast as compared to Seirin High's black vest and trousers for the boys, with a white collared shirt underneath the vest.

"So this Seirin, eh?" He mused, looking at the new clean high school. "_They _are going to be so jealous of me being the first one to see Mikocchi after so long!" He widely grinned, walking into the school as he was caught unaware of the adoring looks and love-struck eyes that many of the Seirin girls were giving him.

* * *

><p>Kamiko gave a small sigh as she listened to her teammates 'aww-ing' over Kagami's new move that he'd performed on Izuki who had attempted to block the brute-looking redhead from scoring earlier. She lightly brushed her bangs away from her eyes, thinking back of the conversation that she had with Kagami that night.<p>

_"__Based from your play earlier today, you wouldn't have reached their feet. Like I said, you'll be crushed in an instant at your current level." She told him._

"I know that's what I said, but well…" Kamiko sighed, her eyes half -closed as she took a glance at her companion who looked irritated.

"Okay, everyone! Gather around!" Their lady-coach, Aida Riko, ran into the court just then, a look of excitement on her face as the team assembled themselves around their team's coach. "I've managed to get us a practice match against Kaijo High School tomorrow!" She beamed, unaware of the horrified faces of her team were giving her, all except the skyblue crown, who was just quietly half-listening.

Hyuuga's face was one of a ghost, exactly like earlier in the changing room, as Kamiko noted. "A practice game against **_the _**Kaijo High School?" He almost croaked.

"Yep! They won't disappoint us," Riko ignored his pale face and was looking cheerful as ever. "We'll put plenty of first years on the court."

"Disappoint us?" Koganei slowly and carefully spoke, unsure of Riko's statement being a total sarcasm or not. "They're way better than us."

"Eh? Are they really that good?" Kawahara Koichi, another freshman, asked.

"They're a school of National level," Hyuuga spoke, back to his normal self. "They participate in the Inter High every year."

"And this year, Kaijo got their hands on one of the Generation of Miracles, Kise Ryota," Riko announced, sending a wave of shock throughout the team. Kamiko, however, already knowing which is which beforehand, crossed her arms rather casually with her face rather expressionless and eyes closed and Kagami noticed this.

"Riko, he's already here," Kamiko pushed her bangs away from her face as she spoke abruptly, surprising each of her teammates. Without having the need to look at their faces, she opened her eyes, looking at the direction where a long line of blushing and giggling girls which must make up more than half of Seirin High's female student population, every team member then followed her line of sight.

"E-Eh? What's with all these people here?" Riko spluttered her words as she quickly spotted a blonde male who was clearly not a student of their school being surrounded by all the girls, looking rather embarrassed and sheepish.

"Gee, I didn't mean for this to happen," the blonde muttered as he signed autograph after autograph.

_'__How the hell did she knew that it was him with her eyes closed the whole time?'_ Kagami thought as he glanced at the skyblue crown again then back at the sheepish-looking blonde who was signing autographs. _'That's something.'_

After all, aside from Riko, Izuki, and Hyuuga, who supposedly are the sharper minds within the Seirin team, Kamiko's five senses are unusually sharper than any of them combined. That is why even with her eyes closed, her other four senses-where her ears are most vital next to the eyes- nothing would escape her radar.

The Seirin basketball team was silenced immediately as they recognized the blonde stranger; a member of the team that they're about to play against in a practice match in a day's time, and also a former member of the famed Generation of Miracles—Kise Ryota.

Kise looked up in the midst of the signing another autograph and made eye contact with Kamiko. The skyblue crown gave a small smile at him. "Ryota."

The blonde grinned in response. "Mikocchi! Been a while," he said cheerfully, even as the rest of the Seirin team turned their attention towards Kamiko, whose short-lived smile was already gone, replaced with an expressionless face, causing them all to blink. The skyblue crown is close with this blonde stranger? But this is the Generation of Miracles they were talking about! Rumours stated the Uncrowned Kings and Generation of Miracles detest each other even before they played each other at the Nationals during their third year. How can they be as civilized like this?

Kise looked sheepish even as another autograph book was pushed into his hands. "I'm really sorry about this… Um…" He trailed off, scratching back of his head. "Do you think that you could wait for five more minutes?" He asked, glancing briefly at the gaping team as he went back to signing autographs.

The entire team could only sweat drop in response as they looked back at the long line of girls all waiting for Kise to sign their autograph books. It looks as if it might take _more _than five minutes for him to finish with the fans.

Kamiko, on the other hand, sighed, shaking her head lightly.

Unfortunately, this is a rather common occurrence back at Hanzo Junior High even before Kise Ryota had debuted as a model back in the third year. Much to his annoyance with all the disturbances before and during their training from Kise's countless fan girls, Reo had to get the Student Council to station two student councilors at the entrance of the gym just so that she and Kise can also train in peace whenever he comes by after Teiko's practice. Her former teammates at first were against the thought of it, but when she explained about his situation, they understood, and there began a civilized union with him and her team.

Same goes to her whenever she drops by the Teiko gym after her training. She wasn't anyone special like Kise but she's earned countless of Teiko fan boys. There were… incidents regarding that. Well, the Generation of Miracles (Mainly, Akashi) took care all of that for her.

Ten minutes later, when Kise was finally done signing autographs, and the gym was empty of all but the basketball team and Kise himself, the cheery blonde leap down from the bleachers, landing lightly on his feet, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Wh-What the hell are you doing here?" Hyuuga spluttered.

He was _not _expecting for a member of the Generation of Miracles to show up just like that here in their school. The four-eyed Seirin captain had only seen the rising star of a group only once—during his freshman year of high school when the high school section and the middle school section Inter High Basketball tournaments were held in neighboring halls. And even then, he had only seen them from a distance after seeing the Uncrowned Kings earlier than them, and like the Uncrowned Kings, the Generation of Miracles themselves already seemed intimidating to him, despite the fact that he is a _year their senior._

The blonde ignored the four-eyed Seirin captain, who just twitched at his gesture, grinning as he made his way over to the basketball team. "Well, when I heard our next practice opponent was Seirin, I remembered Mikocchi enrolled here, so I thought that I'd come and say hi," He grinned even more. "Momoicchi and the others are going to be so jealous that I saw you first! I miss you so much!" He gave a sweet lingering kiss on Kamiko's cheek, seemingly unfazed at his touchy motion.

"Ryota, you should stop with your touchy gestures. It's getting old," She mused, giving a light punch on his shoulder, which earned her a light playful grunt from the blonde.

"Stop acting all tough, Mikocchi! You never had complaints before," Kise grinned cheekily at the skyblue crown, who only giggled a bit in response.

Riko paled at the scenario before her, but, only a split second, she wordlessly beamed, sending Hyuuga, Koganei, and Izuki a couple of steps back away from their coach, horrified at her sudden change of aura and expression.

_'__Eeeeh~?! They look so cuuuute together! This is the first time I've seen Miko-chan be so girly before a guy!'_ Riko amusingly thought, going all lovey-dovey while the three other senpais just sweat dropped at the sight, causing Kamiko and Kise to look at their direction in confusion.

Meanwhile, behind the regulars of Seirin High's basketball team, the three freshmen were poring over the same magazine that the juniors were poring over earlier in the changing room.

" 'Kise Ryota' ." Furihata Koki read from the magazine aloud. " 'Though he started basketball during his second year of middle school, his exceptional physical ability and sense got him on the Teiko team as a regular in a heartbeat. While he has less experience than the other four, he's rapidly improving all-rounder.' "

"Since your second year?" Hyuuga's jaw dropped in disbelief. '_He's only been playing for TWO YEARS?'_

Kise grinned rather sheepishly. "Eh, the article exaggerated a bit." He chuckled, grinned. "I'm glad to be called part of the Generation of Miracles, but I'm the worst of the bunch. Like always, I was constantly bullied, but they'd stop whenever Mikocchi was around. They couldn't do anything about it because they all respect her so much, like I respect her," He explained while scratching the back of his head, his face a bit flushed as he smiled at Kamiko who only giggled a little while rolling her eyes at him. "I joined the basketball team because of her despite being on different middle schools."

The entire Seirin team stared at Kamiko, who was still catching up with Kise with a sudden frown, like their conversation turned serious between both of them. _'She knew every single member of the Generation of Miracles?! Just what kind of spell did she put them under? Poor Kise too!'_ they wondered.

Kise's eyes shot open in alert just then as a basketball came flying towards his and Kamiko's direction, interrupting their quiet conversation. The blonde quickly blocked the ball with his bare hand, catching it in the process. "Eh? What was that for?" Kise turned with a frown as his golden eyes found their way towards the redhead who had thrown the ball at him. "Can't you see that Mikocchi and I are still talking here?"

"Sorry for interrupting your little reunion." Kagami grinned, oblivious to the fact that he had already pissed off a former member of the Generation of Miracles. "But don't tell me that you came all the way here just to greet us? Why don't you play with me for a bit, pretty boy?"

"Eh?" Kise stared at Kagami as if he has two heads. "I don't know if I'm ready. But I'm just…" He mused, glancing at Kamiko, whose eyes were wide, leaving the rest of her facial aspects neutral, then glanced at Kagami before he shrugged and grinned. "Fine, let's do it. And I have to thank you for _that _display." He threw the basketball that Kagami had thrown at him earlier towards the redhead who caught it easily. The blonde then removed his blazer and tie, also rolling up his polo sleeves.

"Oh boy…" Riko sighed to herself in dismay.

"It is worse," Kamiko stated as she walked up beside Riko, confusing the rest of her team with her statement.

Back on the court, Kise and Kagami were having a one-on-one duel between themselves, a hint of smirk on Kise's lips. Kamiko face palmed, knowing full well what he was going to do. Without warning, the blonde then took off past Kagami, with the redhead struggling to keep up. Kagami's eyes widened in shock when Kise performed a move that the redhead himself performed on Izuki just moments ago.

"He learns plays as soon as he sees them firsthand and makes them his own," Kamiko explained with her arms loosely crossed even as Kise dodged Kagami's blocking, and dunked the ball into the net, sending Kagami to fall butt first to the floor.

Riko, listening to the skyblue crown's explanation, watched the duel. _'You can't call something of that level an imitation! Such perfect copy, as if it was his!'_ The brunette thought, staring at Kise as if seeing him for the first time.

Kawahara, a first year, stared on in awe. "This… is the Generation of Miracles?" he muttered. "Kamiko-san, your friend's way too good."

Kamiko looked at the teenager who spoke about Kise and looked back at the redhead and the blonde, staying silent. _'It was I who taught him the basics of his Perfect Copy ability when I was still his instructor. Seemed like he's taken it to the next level quicker than I imagined,' _Kamiko sighed at the thought. _'I can only think the same thing about the others though.'_

Kise broke the tension as he sighed in disappointment, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't know about this," he mused lightly, and Kagami can only stare at the blonde in confusion. "After something so… disappointing, I can't just leave now." He turned his attention towards the remaining players, leaving Kagami twitching in anger.

The once-cheery face on the blonde was replaced with one that was serious as he walked towards the rest of the Seirin team. "Give us Mikocchi." He received a chorus of 'huh?' from Seirin. "Come join us, join me in Kaijo!" He was again cheerful as his yellow eyes searched Kamiko's honey-glazed eyes, which he noted, was an unusually good contrast against her pale skin. "Let's play basketball together again."

Kamiko can only sigh inwardly as he said that. She just knew that someone had put the blonde up to this. This had the rest of their names written all over it.

The response from the rest of Seirin was expected.

_"EEEEEHHH?!"_

Riko's screech was easily the loudest, nearly deafening Hyuuga who was standing right next to her.

"Mikocchi! I am serious here!" Kise insisted, sounding like a whiner as he ignored the rest of Seirin. "I respect you, we all respect you. It's a _complete _waste of your talents to stay here! What do you say?"

The skyblue crown stared at the blonde in silence for several moments and the rest of Seirin stared at her with bated breaths. Kamiko sighed. "It's not only Sei, is it? The rest of _them _put you up to this." She pointed out tiredly.

Everyone stared blankly at their skyblue crown teammate then to the blonde then vice versa. Who were they talking about?

"Well, _we _are all worried about you, especially after what happened. Mibucchi was worried too and the rest of your former teammates except that _sad-excuse of a human being_," Kise admitted. If it's even possible, Seirin got even more confused. "But even if they didn't, I would have asked you the same thing too." He insisted. "I really miss you! And besides, Seirin can't use you and your talents to its full potential. I know there's something more than just those skills you have! I saw how you _changed_ in those last 5 minutes of the match and I know _he's_ been training you after _that_! Come to Kaijo with me." He pleaded with her, both his hands clasped on her free hand tight. "What do you say?"

Silence.

Finally, Kamiko sighed, gripping on his hand gently but firmly. "I am honored to hear you say that, Ryota," she started. "But I must politely decline your offer." Just then, she took her hand off of the blonde's grip, leaving Kise to blink in confusion.

"That doesn't make any sense at all!" He protested. "Besides, this isn't like you! Winning was everything and the only people who can survive are the strongest and the fittest! Why didn't you go somewhere better? Why stay here?!"

Kamiko said nothing for several moments. _The only people who can survive are the strongest and the fittest. _That has been the mantra of Hanzo. At first, it was only meant for basketball, but eventually, it applied in everything and to be honest, she was tired of it.

"I've changed ever since _that,_" she said. "More importantly, I made a promise to Kagami; a promise to defeat the Generation of Miracles and the Uncrowned Kings."

"This isn't like you to joke around like that," Kise frowned, not believing what he is actually hearing from Kamiko. The Kamiko he knew would never say something like that.

There was a low chuckle from behind the blonde just then, and the blonde turned around only to see the redhead laughing like an escapee from the mental hospital, apparently having gotten over the shock at seeing Kise use a move that he had just used moments ago.

_'__So this is the Generation of Miracles.' _Kagami thought, grinning to himself. _'They really are amazing! And there are four more guys stronger than him.' _He thought, recalling Kise's words that he is the weakest of the group. _'I just can't help but smile.'_

"What are you doing?" Kagami grinned at Kamiko, who only stared at him, expressionless as usual. "I was going to say that, Karadai."

Kise looked between Kagami and Kamiko in confusion.

The skyblue crown rubbed her right arm spandex support, sporting a small frown on her face. "Matters like this aren't meant to be joked around, Ryota." Kamiko turned her attention from Kagami to Kise and gave the blonde a tired look. "Accept it or leave it."

Kise smirked, finally understanding the reasoning behind Kamiko's actions.

"…I see."

* * *

><p>Around six o'clock in the evening, the training was done, leaving each of the members exhausted and their coach seemingly satisfied with their work today. All of them have already changed into their fresh clothes, preparing to go home. Kamiko, on the other hand, had to stay behind to do some training of her own, but she promised the lock the gym firsthand before going home. Seeing how dead set Kamiko is, Riko finally agreed, having a feeling that the skyblue crown would need some space to think after what had happened earlier that day when a former member of the Generation of Miracles and her close friend showed up rather unexpectedly. Kagami, however, wanted to practice with Kamiko, but the skyblue crown wouldn't let him.<p>

"No, I want to train on my own," The skyblue crown simply stated, making the redhead twitch an irk.

"I don't remember asking for your permission," the redhead crossed his arms as the ball flew square to his abdomen, barely made any defense at all, leaving him to groan in pain at the sudden rough impact made by Kamiko. "O-Ow! What was that for?! " _'T-That was… fast! And her throw was strong! I t-thought she was weak?!'_

"For being a stubborn brat," she replied, placing her hand on her hip, brushing her bangs away from her eyes lightly with her free hand. "Go, before I make another rough throw at you, but this time, to your face." The girl added in a calm tone, giving him a look.

Kagami can only shiver at the sight of her eyes looking straight at him, forgetting his pain completely. He noticed her gaze felt cold and her calm tone as she said that last statement was rather dark. Not the usual emotionless blunt retorts, comebacks, or responses that he was growing used to. It was like it's her but it's not her. He wouldn't really know since he's only known the girl for about a week or so now.

Ugh, women are such a mystery. He could never really understand them even if he wanted to.

"Fine then," the redhead frowned, picking up his bag, walking towards the door of the gym. "Good night." He gave a small wave without looking back and went on his way.

The skyblue crown watched him go quietly and sighed tiredly as he was out of sight. "That felt like so much only to convince Kagami to leave me on my own for now," she shook her head lightly as she faces the basket then. "You should stop standing behind the door since he's already gone," she said, just enough to be heard from half the court. "Ryota."

"Heeeeh…?! You know, by the way you spoke just now was kinda creepy," The blonde, as she suspected, pushed away from leaning the wall, showing himself, dusting his blazer and his bag. "And your throw— that was impressive, as always. That's got to hurt, judging from his expression."

The skyblue crown only gave a light shrug as she faced him sideways. Kise chuckled and grinned at the sight as he scratched his nape, placing his bag and blazer at the stage beside Kamiko's bag. He unbuttons his polo, leaving him in his white undershirt. The sound of the ball being dribbled was heard, catching the blonde's attention as he looked at Kamiko, who was slowly dribbling the ball as if she was inviting him to duel with her.

The skyblue crown only smiled as she turned away from the basket, bending her knees to 180 degrees for a short leap as a boost, throwing the ball—a one-hand shot— into the basket with so much grace, so much fluidity that Kise could only watch at the play in awe.

The blonde then walked towards her as he caught the aimless ball in time. "Are you asking me what I think you're asking me?"

"Should I say it out loud then?"

Kise stupidly grinned and nodded as he spins the ball on the peak of his forefinger, waiting. Kamiko rolled her eyes in amusement at his stupidity. "You know _exactly _what I was asking for, Ryota. Now pass the ball." Stubbornly, the skyblue crown pointed at the ball that he was spinning and the blonde pouted-frowned, changing to dribbling defense position.

"You are no fun, like always, Mikocchi!"

"I'm the same as ever, Ryota."

To that, the blonde smirked a little, causing the skyblue crown to smirk in return.

"One shot, blonde."

The blonde gave her a confused look as he continues dribbling the ball while Kamiko made a one-finger sign.

"If I win, popsicles on you before going home tonight."

"Eh?! Not that I'm complaining or have no extra money because I do have extra money…"

As the girl caught him just a bit distracted, that was her opening. She tapped the ball before he knew it and began backing away just a good amount of distance from him, dribbling, causing the boy to whine.

"Y-you distracted me! Unfair!"

Taking note of his cute pout, she grinned. " 'Never ever get distracted in a game!' That's one of the rules remember? Haven't you learned anything from me?"

Kise muttered something in his breath as he goes back to his defense position, his yellow eyes trained on her honey-glazed ones. He knew just by looking at her, it was time to get serious. He watched her bend her knees, her dribbling pace slowing down.

_'__Knees bent… slower dribbling pace… concentrated face… Ah, yes, the Eye of Deduction.' _He thought as prepares himself.

He has seen her in that state in middle school a couple of times. She's used it against Akashi, and unexpectedly, she won against him. Her unpredictable Eye of Deduction works similarly with their Captain's Emperor's Eye, but as he later concluded, hers somehow is in larger range than his, making her see things one step (two if it's possible) ahead of him.

Could anyone believe that? Akashi being beaten especially by a girl? Anyway, even if she wouldn't use it unless it was necessary, he would always get beaten by her even in a duel. And you know what's unusually amazing? Every one of them knew how he, even Aomine, feels about her, even her former team does too, but the sad thing is, Kamiko is… dense when it comes to things such as love and relationships.

And unknowingly to her too, he himself likes her too.

All he could remember was liking her ever since he could remember. They've been the closest friends since 5th grade so he really doesn't know how it all started. He tried telling her how he felt for her for so many times that he lost count, but it always ends up with her laughing it off, thinking that it was all a joke to her. Despite that, he never stopped, never gave up on her. He couldn't just give up on her **especially **the tanned male and the hetero-chromatic-eyed redhead are in the picture.

Sigh.

The blonde readies himself as her now-blank eyes were intensely concentrated on his own, moving one step on the left as she bent down a bit more, her dribbles still on the slow pace, poising an attack much like a snake poising an attack on its innocent victim.

He's been to some of her street mock matches against adults ever since 5th grade before graduating and making a formal basketball team in middle school and he was in awe, even until today. He only knew that she had something special in her, but he wouldn't expect it to be used in a sport or game like basketball. It was something most basketball players have tried to achieve for years in the history of basketball, but like the Generation of Miracles' former Captain, her style of play was derived from street basketball. It only needed some time to nurture it to it is today. Like the tanned male's style, her play is boundless, formless—no logic. It's not something he can easily copy, Kamiko once told him.

The fact that he could never… ever copy her style of play was because he looks up to her too much.

To her, whether it be a duel, a mock match, or even the actual play, it's always important to give it your all. Everything that you would do would gradually be meaningless if you don't put any effort into it. That was one of the things he learned from her. And it was also one of the namely few reasons that drove him to evolve during his third year, along with the other prodigies.

Evolved for the worst, without him realizing at all.

Less than a split second, the girl moved right to left in a phantom-like shift like a zigzag pattern towards him, the blonde struggling to keep up in blocking her way to the basket as she abruptly halts just a foot away from him, both her hands holding the ball as she leaps backward, positioned to throw. He smirked a little as he blocks her throw, catching it in the process. His feet touching the ground after the leap, he quickly turned his attention to the basket to score. As just about the ball shoots, he felt a faint swift of wind on his right, widening his eyes in surprise as he realized that she was already in front of him, leaping in the air, tapping the ball down causing it to hit the hoop instead, backfiring, but as it backfired towards him and he was about to catch it again, she caught it with her able left arm before he did but shoots it with her right arm, the ball flowing through the basket.

Score 1. Kamiko won. So popsicles on him as promised.

The ball bounced aimlessly wherever as both players touched ground, panting at the short match. Both players on their knees as exhaustion were written all over their body. Kise, panting with only one eye open, glanced at the girl who straightened up to even her breathing with eyes closed. He was taken aback when he saw her used her injured arm to shoot, him thinking that it wasn't going to push through but it did anyway. He clearly wasn't expecting her to use her right arm even though it wasn't much strength to use to shoot at a short distance, like just now, but still. That moment, he noticed her spandex-clad-support arm shaking ever so slightly and he sighed tiredly.

"Mikocchi, you shouldn't have pushed yourself to use your right arm just now," The blonde spoke, still panting but softly now, causing her to take a deep breath then out, sighing as her exhale.

"I know I shouldn't stress it too much, but I wanted to prove my doctor wrong. Stupid doctor," she grumbled, making her look so adorable. "I'm sorry for that," The girl looked at him sheepishly with a smile, causing him to shake his head in amusement.

The blonde straightened his posture, his hand on his hip as he ran his fingers through his hair, now reeking with sweat. He shuddered in disgust as he sniffed himself.

"Ah geez, I stink now and it's entirely your fault for inviting me to duel with you while we both know that you would win every time," Kise pouted cutely as he crossed his arms like a 5-year-old, causing Kamiko to laugh lightly at the sight.

"It's not my fault that you accept challenges like that so easily."

Kise glared at her, but he only ended up laughing, knowing that she was right. Oh how he missed this feeling—this carefree kind of basketball play, especially when he's one-on-one with Kamiko even during the middle school days just for pure fun. He always ends up losing every time, but he didn't mind. He always had the chance to see her play up close, and corny as it is, it has always motivated him to want to be on the same level as she was.

Even until now; even if it was impossible.

"Say, Ryota, that popsicles _you _promised?" The girl teased, earning a light jab on her stomach from him, who was laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, a deal's a deal. Come on. Go change. I'll wait outside."

* * *

><p>It was a short while as Kamiko quickly changed into her uniform, locking the gym as she stepped out. Kise was waiting her just in front of the gym door, sitting on the rail with a sling bag hanging on his shoulder and a spinning basketball in hand.<p>

"I never pegged you to be a Double Dutch popsicle fan," the blonde snorted as he eat his share of popsicle. They only bought a pair since there was only one left at the nearest convenience store before him taking her home.

He remembered doing exactly like this with her in middle school. He would treat her some popsicles every after school even if there wasn't any deal made. Somehow, stuff like this became part of their routine despite attending different schools. It was fun. It's not something that never gets boring even if they're in high school now.

"Eh, it's the only flavor available," the girl sniffed, pouting as she eats her share. "I hope that store closes because they don't have my favourite popsicle flavor." To that, she puffed her cheeks round and Kise can only stifle a laugh at the sight of it. "And besides, the duel would be meaningless if one doesn't stick with the deal either way."

He couldn't hold it in anymore, so he burst in laughter, causing both of them to stop in their tracks. The girl looked at him, confused as to why he was laughing. She wondered if there was something she said that was funny, but as far as she knows, this is just being him laughing about everything.

"S-Sorry! I-I just—Ha ha! That look—ha ha! You are just adorable!" The blonde tries to explain properly, but failed miserably as he keeps laughing, clutching his stomach. "D-Damn! My stomach hurts!"

Her face heated red in embarrassment, pouting more as she jabbed his side rather hard, causing him to change the sound of his laughter to the sound of his yelping in pain.

"I-It's not funny, Ryota."

"B-But it is—"

She shot him a look, causing him to gulp and pouted, mumbling something like, "Fine, fine. You are no fun, Mikocchi."

The girl ignored him as she walked ahead of him. Recovering quickly, he skipped, walking beside her then in no time, with silence enveloping both high schoolers.

_'__Well…' _Kise thought to himself as he walked along the familiar stretch of road that Kamiko always took after school to go home. Ever since the first year in middle school, he had always volunteered to walk her home, despite her efforts of stopping him from going home with her.

"You mentioned something about Aominecchi before that redhead of your teammate interrupted our ever-so-intimate conversation," the blonde dramatized, earning a roll of eyes and a light chuckle from the sky-bluenette.

"Ah, yes," Kamiko answered, staying silent after several moments. "We bumped into each other in the run earlier this morning."

_'__Is it just me or did I detect a hint of smile?' _The blonde glanced at her then back at the road. "And you didn't expect him to see him again after… _that_?"

To that, the girl only nodded in response, causing him to look at her in confusion. It's not that it was any of his business at all, but still, this is Karadai Kamiko they were talking about. It's been a long time but he doesn't think the girl would hold a grudge against anyone, especially with someone she knows. It's never part of her nature.

She just forgives and forgets. That's how she is.

But unless she has any sort of feelings for the said guy, then it's a different story, he supposed.

Then again, he grew curious. He would've sworn to have detected a faint smile that was playing across her lips and he wondered what really happened during their unexpected encounter.

"Eeeeeh? A nod is all I get for spouting 10 or so words to form a question?" The blonde whined and poked her cheek. "Tell me more!"

The skyblue crown blushed, twitching at the poke. "T-There's nothing more than that!" She said rather quickly, blinking in surprise as the blonde grinned teasingly.

"Something really happened," he mocked the girl playfully and chuckled, earning a flushed face from the sky-bluenette.

"Nothing worth talking about!" Kamiko blushed more, hanging her head just enough to hide her eyes behind her bangs and that's when Kise decided to push it even more.

He then poked her cheek, grinning. Then poked again when he received no response. Then again. Then…

"U-Ugh! You know I hate poking on the cheek!"

"But you do it all the time to most of us!"

The girl gave a smug smile, tilting her head on the side as she looked at him. "I'm an exception."

Kise scratched his temple with his forefinger, his eyebrow twitching. He felt somehow annoyed but he keeps his cool. "You are not definitely an exception this time. Now tell me."

The sky-bluenette looked ahead of her then back at the blonde then ahead then vice versa. She then sighed lightly as she stretched her arms, hanging her bag behind her back as she wrapped her arms behind her head.

"We just… talked."

The blonde then abruptly stopped on his tracks, his jaw hanging open as his bag fell on the ground. It took a while for the girl to realize that he stopped so she stopped to look at him, confused at his state.

"You just… TALKED?"

"Yeah… we just talked." She repeated as she completely faced the blonde who was still delirious about her response.

"I'm not buying that," Kise pouted, crossing his arms as the girl shrugged at his childishness, already used to it by now.

"We just talked, catching up and stuff. Ah well…" The girl sighed as she stretched her arms out, tucking her hands behind her head. "He's more arrogant than before. He is studying in Touou with Satsuki then?"

Kise looked at the sky-bluenette, who looked rather bored, with a popsicle stick between her teeth. "That's what I heard. He is in fact their basketball team's Ace and Momoicchi is their manager."

She nodded in acknowledgement, but was half-listening. And again, a rather uncomfortable silence hovered the two and the blonde was itching to make another conversation, a topic that would stir her attention away from that tanned male.

"Is… your arm doing any better?" Kise then skips in front of her, walking backwards playfully, earning a giggle from the girl. _'If the Aominecchi subject was not any better, then I should just do things that would definitely make her smile instead. I hate seeing a frown across her lovely face,' _he mused to himself.

Kamiko smiled up to him, noting that he was only 3 or so inches taller than her. "Not that I can use it like how I used to, but I'll manage," she replied. "Like the doctor said, it's never going to be the same, but I always find a way to make this work for me, even for the littlest of things," she added as an afterthought.

By now, they have reached Kamiko's house—a studio-type apartment that Akashi had helped her look for around the 2nd year of middle school.

Kamiko looked at Kise. "Do you want to come in for a while?" she asked, pulling out her keys from her bag side pocket.

Kise nodded silently, and Kamiko gave a sideway smile at him as she unlocked her door and pushed it open, entering with Kise just behind her. The taller male glanced around the apartment. It hasn't changed one bit since the last time that he had came here for a study session back in the third year when he was failing in almost all his subjects and he asked for her help to tutor him.

It is still as neat and tidy as Kise had remembered, with just a small kitchen and a bathroom. Kamiko lives alone, so she didn't see the need to have a living room of some sort, with the couches and all. As the girl was pre-occupied to enter her bedroom to change, leaving the male to explore, he caught sight of four photo frames that were hanged on the wall just above the small regular table that Kamiko uses for meals. As he neared to get a clearer view, he saw that the first picture was a younger version of her and another male, who resembled so much of hers with the sky-blue hair, safely assuming that it was her younger brother in their old grade school. The second photo is that of the entire Uncrowned Kings after their first National victory. The third photo is that of Akashi and Kamiko taken at Satsuki's birthday party. The fourth photo, though that caught his attention the most, is that of himself and Kamiko, playing one-on-one on the first time he visited her at Hanzo.

_'__She was really enjoying herself back then, huh…'_

"I only have grape juice." Kamiko announced as she emerged from her bedroom in her loose shirt and cloud-printed pajamas, startling Ryota out of his thoughts as she made her way to her small fridge to get the grape juice and pour the contents into a glass, passing the glass to the blonde, the gesture made him fully snapped back into reality.

"A-Ah, thanks." Ryota answered, sitting down at the table with Kamiko. The grape juice was chilled, but refreshing. Just like how he loves it. He glanced at Kamiko's now-bare right arm before she rubbed it gently with her left hand.

"Stop feeling guilty about it. It's no one's fault, not even yours," Kamiko murmured quietly, and Ryota looked into her eyes. Those honey-glazed eyes that has never failed to mesmerize him. There is nothing but gentleness and understanding in them. "I chose to take the blow for Aomine after all. It has nothing to do with you or anyone."

"But…" Ryota murmured.

"I already told you. It's not your fault, Ryota," Kamiko said softly but firmly. "There's nothing to get depressed about, blonde." She attempted to lighten up his spirits and in a way, she succeeded.

Kise managed a small smile.

"Why did you come?" She asked. "I hadn't seen you since graduation. You wouldn't come out of the blue like this just because you heard that we have our practice match against your school in a few days or even that _they _told you to. You came here for a reason. What is it?"

Kise said nothing. As he placed his half-full glass on the table in front of him, chilling his hands and fingers around the sweating chill of the juice. Staring at the juice for a few more moments, he looked into Kamiko's lively eyes; the eyes that Midorima had complained on more than one occasion that he couldn't tell what she's thinking, like he could with everyone else and later, the blue-haired tanned male during the third year's Nationals. The blonde then scanned her angel-sculpted heart-shaped face, the shape of her brows, her nose, her flushed cheeks, her ears, then suddenly her slightly-parted pink lips.

How many times has he thought of how her lips taste like? If they fit against his like its missing puzzle? How many times has he thought of kissing them over and over, whispering sweet nothings into her mouth as he swallows her sighs?

To that, his blonde eyes widened, feeling his cheeks heat up as he bit his lower lip, darting his attention away from her as he ran his long fingers through his messy hair in an attempt to his dirty thoughts and focused then his eyes on the juice in front of him. Sometimes, he wondered if that tanned male's perverted-ness rubbed on the blonde already and well, he sighed inwardly. _'I can't believe that Aominecchi is that influential!' _

He had more important questions floating in his mind; so many questions that he wanted answered. _Why didn't you contact me? Why did you disappear? Why didn't you come with me to Kaijo? Is your arm really okay?_

And the question that he wanted answered most of all: _Aren't you happy with us? With me?_

But he couldn't bring himself to ask her that.

"Everyone wanted to know the same thing, Mikocchi," Kise responded in a whisper as his eyes find their way to her honey-glazed eyes once again. "When third year turned over… why? Why did you stop coming by at the gym?" He couldn't mask the hurt in his voice at that. "We all knew you visited us around the middle of the year, but you disappeared without saying 'hi' even. Why did you do that?"

_Do you hate me? Did you not enjoy playing basketball with me?_

_Do you like someone else? Is it Aominecchi, Akashicchi, Midorimacchi? Damnit, answer me, Mikocchi! Am I not enough?_

Kamiko said nothing for a few moments, placing her hands on the table, with one over the other. "There were… a few reasons," she finally said. "But there is one reason that is more important than anything else."

"What is it?" Kise asked.

"I left because…" Kamiko trailed off slowly, looking straight into Kise's eyes, looking so unbearably sad and vulnerable. "… Ryota, you and the others changed. You're no longer that Ryota whom I made friends with in 5th grade. Everyone changed. I couldn't accept it. You all changed so drastically that I can no longer recognize that it's you." The sky-bluenette whispered, staring down at her fingers as they fiddle one another. "The Ryota, Sei, Shinta-kun, Atsu-kun, and Aomine that loves basketball." She then laced her fingers together. "When we first started out—even before we became known as the Uncrowned Kings and the Generation of Miracles, we all started playing because we love the game. But by the time that we're in our third year, I thought it would be the same." She shakes her head. "The evolution would never stop, I know. The thing that I thought would stay the same was our passion for the game, but well… I can openly say that no one on Teiko, even Hanzo loves playing basketball anymore. Especially you." Her voice cracked and Kise noticed this, widening his eyes. "That's why I immediately left. I couldn't bear to see all of you hating basketball."

"I didn't regret dropping by every so often at Teiko whenever I'm finished with practice." Kamiko continued. "What I regret was letting both teams change into what they had become when third year. turned over. I know that Hanzo was the best of the best. No one can beat us, until Teiko all came along."

"Is that why you left?"

Kamiko pressed her lips into a thin line as she darted her eyes away from his sincere sad eyes. "Part of it," she admitted at last. "Defeat was one thing. It was a shock at first, but a relief, because honestly, I never knew how it felt like until you beat us to a pulp." She chuckled dryly and shook her head. "When I was still in the hospital, Sei had offered to teach me the basics of my original play using my left. Which means I had to start at square one right? I thought that I couldn't play anymore despite his offer, and then you were all there, encouraging me to take up Sei's offer to teach me, and I was happy." She faced the wall. "You told me you wanted to play with me again so badly. To bring back all the fun memories we once had back in the day. That there's no such thing as giving up. But…"

"But?"

"None of you really had the guts to tell me to just give up already, leaving me hanging on a false hope that I can play again." Kamiko looked at Kise who felt almost as if a double-edged knife had stabbed him in the chest. "You moved on with your lives with me out of the picture. You stopped believing in me, stopped believing that I can still play basketball."

"T-That's not true!" Kise protested, slamming his fist against the wall as guilt began to eat him up.

"That's why I refused any visitors until I got released," Kamiko admitted once more, surprising the blonde. "When I was released, I didn't bother to contact any of you because I realized that I became too dependent on you." The sky bluenette paused before she continued. "I can't stand seeing the faces you all made when the doctor made it crystal clear that Hanamiya had nearly crippled my right shoulder. I can't stand seeing you all hate playing the sport. All of these changes happened without me realizing it, and I thought I was keeping all of you in check…" Kamiko trailed off slowly. "I was wrong."

"Is that why you went to Seirin?" Kise asked quietly, understanding Kamiko's reasoning more now. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew the sky-bluenette was right. He did hate basketball now. And he did evolve for the worst. Seriously, back in middle school, when was the last time they played one-on-one just to have fun? He couldn't remember. "Is that why you left me?"

"It's true that I attended Seirin because of that reason, instead of one of the schools that the rest of the Generation of Miracles and the Uncrowned Kings went to." Kamiko tilted her head as her lips quirked into the saddest smile that he's ever seen. "But I had never thought of leaving you." She looked at him. "I'll always keep the promise I made with you that 5th grade, to never leave you unless I had a reason to do so. Tell me, when was a time that I would really leave you without a concrete reason, Ryota?"

His name that flowed from her lips sounded heavenly to his ears, and he looked down, ignoring the constant ache in his chest.

"Then why?" Kise asked quietly.

"You've always wanted a challenge. A good kind, and as far as I know, the rest of both teams do, even Aomine and Sei, too." Kamiko told Kise. "That's why I want to find someone who has that potential to stand on equal grounds with you; someone who can give you that challenge that you've always dreamed of ever since you started playing the sport." Kise's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm not enough as a challenge anymore, and as much as you like to think that I'm still enough, just drop it."

Silence fell on the two individuals for several minutes, before Kamiko spoke once more, only softly this time. "Now that you know, Ryota, at least tell me what you're really here for." The sky-bluenette sighed tiredly as she gently picked his glass away from him, as he said nothing.

_Can't you see the other reason I showed up was to see you again?_

She stood up quietly; the only sound heard was the slight screech on the chair against the floorings, as she was taking the glass to the sink in her kitchen.

_Please don't leave me, Mikocchi. Not again._

"Even though I saw you today, it is like I don't know you anymore." Kamiko took a sponge from the open shelf as she lathered it with the dishwashing liquid to wash the glass. "What's Kaijo High really like? Will you play against Seirin for real after the practice match someday? Against the others?"

_I really like you since 5__th__ grade! Is there any chance that you'll like me in the near future?_

Kise wasn't even aware just when he had gotten up from the low table that he had been sitting at with Kamiko for the better part of an hour. He was only then aware of it when he had wrapped his arms around her slender body, not willing to let her go, as he buried his face against her neck part shoulder.

_"__Mikocchi!"_


	5. Chapter 5

**BELATED HAPPY NEW YEAR MINNA-SAN~! 3 AAAHHH! I know that most of you were looking forward to the next chapter but eh! I've been busy with Christmas and fireworks. XD BTW, I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or any of its characters; just my two OC's. :D The more reviews, favorites, and follows, the more quick the updates would be! (Depending on my busy schedule now since I'm nearly graduating. D: )**

**And another BTW, thank YOU for that very inspiring review! I'm learning!**

**HAVE FUN READING~! -DJ**

* * *

><p>The day of Kaijo's match with Seirin High dawned bright and clear.<p>

"Kise! Where the hell are you?!"

The Kaijo captain's voice bellowed the entire gym as he was angrily searching for the mentioned blonde when the latter emerged from the lockers, running rather excitedly instead in panic as soon as the blonde heard his captain's voice.

"Kasamatsu-senpai~! Why are you looking for me—"

"HORSE KICK!"

"O-Ouch! Senpai! Why did you kick me?!" Kise Ryota groaned in pain, gripping on his stomach as he got down on his knees.

Kasamatsu twitched in irritation as he eyed the sheepish-looking blonde and crossed his arms. "I heard that Seirin's at the gates already. Go out and meet them. I'll make sure Coach knows that there will be guests playing on court."

* * *

><p>The entire Seirin team was all on time, all looking refreshed and eager for their match against a National-level team, and also against a member of the legendary basketball team—the Generation of Miracles.<p>

As they walked through Kaijo High in search for the gym, the players marveled at the size of the school. Seirn pales in comparison to Kaijo, as Kaijo is easily nearly three times the size of Seirin. It could easily pass off as a college campus.

"Ah, this place is huge," Hyuuga adjusted his eyeglasses on his nose as he commented, walking through the school with the team as they admire the different buildings in the school. Apparently, the sports facilities of Kaijo were in a separate building from the classrooms, unlike Seirin where the sports facilities and classrooms are all under one roof. "You can really tell that this school is devoted to its students." The captain spoke again, spotting several athletes running on the oval that was right outside the gym that they've passed by.

Kagami had looked scarier than usual when he had joined up with the rest of the team at Seirin before they had headed to Kaijo High together. For some reason, his eyes are more bloodshot than usual, and he had bags underneath his eyes.

"Kagami, you look worse than usual," Kamiko glanced at the taller male as she adjusted her duffel bag on her left shoulder, only to receive a growl from the said boy.

"Urasai," An irritated Kagami Taiga retorted. "I was just a little too excited about the game and I can't sleep."

"What are you? A kid excited for his first field trip?" Kamiko mused lightly as she turned her attention from the short-tempered redhead as the blonde came running towards them.

"What did you just say—" Kagami was about to counter when a shout caught his attention.

"Everyone!"

The Seirin team looked around only to see an excited Kise dressed in a plain black sleeves shirt shirt that was overlapped with his jersey jacket and blue shorts running towards them. "This place is big, so I thought that I'd come and get you." The blonde explained cheerfully, receiving a greeting from the Seirin coach. Kagami was about to say something to that only to have Kise ignore his presence as he walked over to Kamiko who was just standing beside the redhead. "Mikocchi, ever since you turned down my invitation to join us, I've been crying into my pillow since last night!"

Kamiko glanced at the deadpanned looks that the rest of her team was giving her 'crying' best friend and sighed.

Ever since she became his instructor from his 1st year, even when he finally decided to join the Teiko basketball team in his 2nd year, Kise had been more clingy to her and would tend to hug her a lot—something that she was already used to since 5th grade, annoying Akashi and Midorima a lot back then.

"What's with him?" Hyuuga deadpanned.

"Just show us the way!" Kagami snapped.

Kise didn't seem to have heard Kagami, as he continued on his tale of misery to Kamiko who is used to the blonde's antics by now. Even though named as members of the Generation of Miracles or Uncrowned Kings, she had always wondered if being weird was a downright side-effect as to being geniuses in their respective fields.

"Not even a girl has turned me down before." Kise continued, damn right oblivious to the amused looks that the rest of the Seirin team was giving to a mildly annoyed-looking Kamiko.

"The hell I care about that," Kamiko massaged her slightly aching head as she recalls their middle school days, and what Kise had been like when he transferred from Hirijikawa Middle School to Teiko Juniour High and had joined the basketball team. "Would you stop that, Ryota? It's like you're making me feel guilty on rejecting you like that like it was some kind of love confession."

Kise then smiled deviously. "Eh? It's the reason why I'm interested to know more about the guy who's making Mikocchi say such things that weren't supposed to be said in the first place." The blonde turned and faced Kagami. "I don't really care much about being called the Generation of Miracles, but I can't ignore such an obvious challenge. I'm not mature enough to let it slide." Kise's smile turned into a dark smirk. "Gomen, but I've decided to crush you with everything I have."

Kagami grinned upon hearing that, having fired up even more upon hearing that.

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

><p>"This is it."<p>

It had been a rather long walk from the school's entrance to the gymnasium where the basketball team always practiced, and like what Kise had mentioned earlier, this is just one of the three gymnasiums that Kaijo High had, since they're a nationally renowned school for their sport teams.

The sound of shouts and sneakers squeaking against the shiny floor of the courts could be heard as they approached the gymnasium. Seirin was soon greeted with the sight of Kaijo players practicing on one side of the court with the other side being occupied by some Kaijo players who are obviously Seirin's practice opponents, chatting among themselves.

"We're playing… on half a court?" The Seirin coach, Riko, echoed. "The other side's being used for practice?" She was scanning the area as a rather portly-looking man in his late forties that is inspecting a clipboard noticed their group just then and approached them. Kamiko raised a brow as she immediately recognized the man from Kise's talks about his new high school.

The man is the said basketball coach, Takeuchi Genta.

"You're here. Welcome," Takeuchi greeted them. "I'm the coach, Takeuchi." Scanning the team, he then raised a confused eyebrow, but spotted no one whom he thinks is the coach. "Uh, by the way, which one of you is the coach?"

He glanced over the Seirin players once more.

It is rather common for high school teams these days to have player-coaches, usually players that are at National level, as not every school could afford to hire a professional coach to teach the student-players.

Thus, Takeuchi was very surprised when the short brunette whom he first thought was the team manager introduced herself as the Seirin coach.

"You are not the manager?" Takeuchi spluttered, making Riko frown with a barely controlled irk on her forehead.

This isn't the first time that an opposing school had mistaken her as a manager, but it was really getting old. She tried to keep her cool as she introduced herself again, more properly this time. "I'm the coach, Aida Riko," she proclaimed. "We look forward to playing with you today!" The short brunette gave a polite bow. "I do have a question that needed to be clarified." She glanced over at the half-court that Kaijo's players were practicing their drills on. "What is this?"

"It is exactly what it looks like." Takeuchi stated. "We've only made simple arrangements for today's game."

"What arrangements?" Riko asked, trying to compose herself.

"There won't be enough to learn from this game to make it worth watching for the guys sitting out. We're having the other players practice as usual so we don't waste time." Takeuchi looked over the half-court as he continued on, apparently missing out the pissed looks reflected on the faces of the Seirin players. "Despite the arrangements, you'll be playing our regulars. I do hope you won't let us triple your score."

Takeuchi walked away, missing the much more pissed looks on the faces of the entire team, especially when Riko was about to burst at any moment, barely controlling herself by then.

'How dare that bloated coach diss us like that without seeing us play firsthand!?' Riko though angrily as she curled her hands into fists and if looks really do kill, the bloated balloon of a coach would have been dead by now.

Even Kamiko had a grim expression at this insult to her team, looking much worse than the Seirin coach.

_Shall we show them then, Kami?_

The sky-bluenette heard her twin sister and the faintest of smirk was across her lips, unknowingly catching Kagami's attention to her sudden change of mood and aura.

_'I'll not show my trump card that casually, Akkiko, but we'll make this match worth watching then and prove that coach wrong.'_

Kamiko silently vowed to make the portly coach eat his own words.

"They think we suck." Kagami growled as he gritted his teeth next to her. Kamiko looked up at the taller male only to see a scarier-than-usual expression written all over Kagami's usually scowling face. "They're treating this like a sideshow to their practice."

_Now, we have someone on the same page! This is going to be interesting!_

Kamiko smiled as she heard Akkiko's note about a pissed-off Kagami. From her experience, she knew that Kagami's play get more vital, and it gets all the more better when he's fired up.

And the taller redhead is definitely fired up now. Fired up in anger.

"Look who's talking." Hyuuga hissed, practically glowing with anger.

"I haven't been this pissed in a long while now." Izuki stated, twitching.

As Kise was told to lead the Seirin team to the changing rooms, with the blonde extremely put out as he wasn't allowed on the court as 'it won't be a fair game otherwise', Kamiko turned towards her best friend.

"Do warm up, Ryota," The sky-bluenette then turned her attention away from the blonde to the entrance of the changing rooms. "You'll be in the court soon. We don't have time to wait." She took one last glance at Kise and a faint smirk was written across her lips, surprising him in a second but understood nonetheless and left for the changing rooms.

* * *

><p>"With that, let the practice game between Seirin High and Kaijo High begin."<p>

The starting players from both teams were quick to line up at the center, as Kagami lined up beside Kamiko, facing the Kaijo players, who were said to their regulars.

_"Whoa, a girl? A girl is a starting player?"_

_"That's sick! Girls are weaklings!"_

Kamiko was irked at the insults from the audience who were players too. Instead of showing them how annoyed she was, she kept a straight face. 'I do have ears, you worthless bastards!' she growled inwardly, making Akkiko growl angrily as well.

"Oh, never thought I'd play against a female basketball player. Not that I'm complaining… she's well-built and tall for a girl, too." Number 8, Moriyama, muttered. "What do you think, Kasamatsu?"

Number 4, Kasamatsu Yukio, glanced at Kamiko, noticing a slight shake on her right arm, eventually fisting her hand to control the slight trembles before turning back at her expressionless face then to his teammate. Just a second, he blinked. "Yeah."

_'I've seen her somewhere…'_

He shifted uncomfortably as he saw the sky-bluenette glancing at his direction and he realized she un-noticeably winked at him, causing him to blush a little and turned away, earning a faint smirk from the said girl.

_Good job, Kami. Distraction phase number 1, complete._

Kamiko inwardly rolled her eyes as they were all waiting to go buckle up in their positions. Back on the sidelines, Riko was wincing as she sat on Seirin's bench, analyzing the stats of the Kaijo players.

_'This doesn't look too good,'_ Riko thought to herself as she glanced from one player to another._ 'I can't see everything through their clothes, but their numbers are way higher than the average. Despite having Kamiko and Kagami in our advantage, our physical numbers are still way behind. Not surprising for a nationally strong team,'_ She glanced at the two freshmen starters on the court. Kagami is grinning like some kid entering a candy store, causing the opposing team to wonder if he's a little touched in the head. Meanwhile, Kamiko was keeping well behind the redhead, as is her role as the team's double Ace and support with Kagami.

The whistle was finally blown and the ball was thrown into the air. Kagami reached for the ball, but Kasamatsu got to it first.

"One. Let's keep it up." He told his teammates whilst dribbling the ball, not keeping a particularly sharp eye on his surroundings.

_"Didn't anyone tell you to watch out for your surroundings? Bad mistake."_

Before Kasamatsu even realizes what is going on, the ball was smacked out of his hand by Kamiko who had appeared from behind him, catching them in utter surprise and had promptly made off with it.

"Where the hell did she come from?" Kasamatsu demanded, chasing Kamiko down with his teammate by his side.

Kamiko glanced over her shoulder only to see the two Kaijo players gaining on her before she slowed down her pace, side-facing her opponents as she began to perform a pass that seemingly reached the Kaijo captain for him to steal, but was stopped on his tracks as he realized the ball was never within his reach, but was still in Kamiko's hands, the sky-bluenette already in front of him as to turn her heel to right, she noticing that the shocked Kasamatsu followed her pattern and frowned as she tapped the ball on the left instead between her two opponents, passing to Kagami who had been waiting for the ball. 'Fake?!'

Kamiko and Kagami's training during the one week before their match with Kaijo had been to work on their coordination play, and to also get used to working together with each other, since they'll be playing together for a long time.

Kagami grinned as he leapt into the air and dunked the ball into the basket before landing back on the ground, only to realize that he's holding the rim of the goal.

"Eh?"

Numerous gasps were heard, except from Kamiko, who must have seen it coming just stood there quietly, with her hand on her hip.

The onlookers as well as Takeuchi were stunned beyond belief, that some no-name school actually has a player like that. Meanwhile, over the Seirin's bench, Riko was grinning.

_'Take that, people! That's what you get for underestimating my team!'_

"That thing's dangerous. One of the bolts is rusted." Izuki commented, glancing at the destroyed goal.

Kasamatsu who was staring at their destroyed goal with wide eyes was taken aback. "Even so that's not normal!" He pressed his lips together, staring at the destroyed goal._ 'Is he really a freshman? And that girl who made a ridiculously elegant fake pass just now… Where the hell did I meet her? When?'_

"Oh," Kagami blinked as he held the hoop in front of his face, testing out the size of the hoop that is easily larger than his own head. "This is bigger than I thought."

Meanwhile over the sidelines, Riko was apologizing fervently to Takeuchi, who was twitching.

"I'm sorry that we destroyed your goal," Kamiko moved forward as she was dragging Kagami along by the neck and pushed his head in a bow and she bowed as well. "Since we can't play like this, could we use the full court then?" The sky-bluenette pointed out, much to everyone's relief.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kise was laughing his ass off even as he watched the other players of Kaijo clean up the court to continue the practice game with Takeuchi finally using the full court for the match instead of a half court.<p>

"Now that's what I call beating." Kise finally sobered up as he glanced at the twitching portly coach. "I've never seen the coach like that before."

Kagami growled at the blonde. "You should tell him that that's what he gets for underestimating us!"

Kamiko looked between the blonde and the redhead before sighing and turning her attention to the redhead. "Kagami, how much do you think a replacement hoop will cost?" the sky-bluenette asked.

Kagami stared at her with wide eyes, obviously having never thought of that." E-Eh? We have to pay for that?"

"The money's coming from your pocket, after all." Kamiko shook her head lightly as she walked away to take her position on the court. "Your responsibility."

The redhead looked as if someone had just lost his puppy, whilst Takeuchi looked as if he was about to burst a blood vessel as he roared for Kise.

"With that, let the game resume!" The referee shouted as the courts was ready for the continuation of the game. The players on both teams have also settled back on the court, all in their positions. The reserve players of Kaijo were all in the stands, all looking excited.

Kagami grinned as he saw Kise entering the courts. Kise smirked at the redhead. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Whatever, pretty boy. You're finally in."

"You know, you're way too intense for a model when you're on," Hyuuga glanced at the blonde briefly as he adjusted his eyeglasses.

"He's not just putting on a show," Kamiko pointed out quietly, noticing Riko's worried look as she studied Kise thoroughly.

What was she expecting of a National class player who was once a member of the legendary team that had helped to bring Teiko's Generation of Miracles an unlikely victory against Hanzo's Uncrowned Kings?

Several screams caught the attention of the entire court just then, and Kamiko doesn't have to turn to see just what the reason is. It had happened more than once back in Teiko and Hanzo, especially when the blonde is just practicing.

_Fan girls._

To be specific, _Kise's fan girls._

"Huh? What's all that?" Hyuuga was taken aback at all the cheers. Those weren't there earlier when they were playing half-court.

Kasamatsu, who was near Hyuuga, sighed and scratched the back of his head with an exasperated look on his face. "Ah, that?" He glanced at the girls. "This happens every time he plays." He explained. "And…" Several ticks appeared on Kasamatsu's head as he hit Kise in the head and fell head-first onto the ground. "How long are you going to keep waving at them? I'll hit you harder than that!"

Kise groaned in pain as he picked himself off the ground, still clutching on his aching head. "That was already harder than your usual smacks, Kasamatsu-senpai!" He whined.

Kasamatsu twitched. "Do you understand what the situation is, Kise?" He demanded. "Who the hell is Number 10?"

"Number… 10?" The blonde was confused at the moment as he glanced over at the said Seirin basketball player, only to have the said player staring back at them. "Oh, that's Kagami."

"Kagami?" The Kaijo captain wasn't particularly listening as his attention was solely on Kamiko surprisingly, who was just standing at the court with her hand on her hip as she looked like she was adjusting her arm spandex. "Never heard of him."

"Forget about him!" Kise looked excited. "The person who stole the ball and made that awesome fake pass, Number 11. That's my best friend from Hanzo, Mikocchi." Kise grinned. "She's amazing, right? Right?"

_'Hanzo? As in the Hanzo Junior High? If that's correct, she must be part of that legendary team—the Uncrowned Kings! That doesn't sound good.'_ He was still a little deep in thought as he looked over to the sky-bluenette. _'She's…'_ he twitched at Kise's grin and hits him square in the stomach. "Why are you so happy?" Kasamatsu demanded and to that, Kagami winced. "In any case, they gave us quite a greeting. It'll be rude if we didn't return the favor."

Kise grinned.

* * *

><p>In Rakuzan High School that also functions as a boarding school, Akashi Seijuro was as usual playing shogi by himself on the rooftop of the school.<p>

His cellphone rang just then and the redhead took it out of his pocket only to see the name 'Momoi Satsuki' flashing on the LCD screen, and he quirked a brow, wondering what the manager from his former team wanted with him.

After the split up of the Generation of Miracles and more or less the Uncrowned Kings when they've all gone on to their own high schools, it isn't like they don't still keep in contact(except him). They still do with emails and such. It is only Kamiko whom he actually calls rather than email, (minus the times when he would email instead of call because he was busy then) since she's the only person he considered closest to him.

"What is it, Satsuki?" Akashi asked smoothly, with his free hand moving his King shogi piece on the board.

_"Ne, Akashi-kun!"_ Her bubbly loud voice was heard on the line, as he pulled away from the phone just enough to lessen the endangerment of his eardrums.

"Is there something that you need, Satsuki? Please keep it short—"

_"I was wondering if it's okay—" "Oh? Is that Akashi on the line?"_ Momoi was cut off as Akashi heard a distinguished male voice in the background as he caught on a grunt and shuffle on the line, and he could only swear that it was Aomine Daiki. _"O-Oy! Dai-chan! You lazy oaf! I was trying to talk to Aka-kun without you interrupting!"_ The redhead could hear Momoi shouting at Aomine and he sighed.

_"Oh, anyways! I was wondering what stuff toy would suit Miko-chan and I thought since you know her more than we all do, do you have any idea what it would be?"_

Akashi pulled his phone away to stare at it, seemingly confused at the question.

_'Stuff toy that suits Kamiko? I remembered her mentioning her favourite animal is a penguin.'_ He thought as he placed the phone back to his ear, hearing more shuffling on the line and some more shouting between the two. _"If you really want to give her something to pay for your idiocy for leaving her stranded on the day of her hospital release, ask him yourself!" "What did you just say—you're loud for a girl!"_

Akashi felt his left eye twitching and felt a small bubble of anger boiling inside.

"I thought I was told that Kamiko had made home safely by you, Daiki. What is Satsuki saying that you weren't in any way present when she was released?" Akashi asked smoothly, as he was still holding on a shogi piece on hand, shaking slightly.

_"A-Ah that, errr…"_ Aomine sounded really nervous as he drilled Momoi's head for 'being such a loud goose.' _"I wasn't there because she didn't contact any of us, actually. I-I had no idea about when she was supposed to be released either."_ Akashi heard Momoi whining with, _"Actually, she didn't bother to contact because she gave her nurse a notice not to allow anyone visit her! You were so immersed in your self-guilt about what happened that day that you forgot about her! It was your fault for being so stupid, Dai-chan! You were lucky she didn't hit you or something when you unexpectedly ran into each other the other day!"_

"Ran into each other the other day? When was this exactly?"

_"Oh, Akashi-kun! Ki-chan called to tell me that Miko-chan talked with Dai-chan the other morning, during a jog. He didn't tell you?"_

Akashi sighed lightly, a sound that was barely audible for the other line to hear. He was still feeling tensed but relaxed a tad bit as he placed the shogi piece that he was gripping on just now back on the board. He did remember the blonde emailed him the report about how Kamiko was doing, from the beginning to finish, even the part when Kamiko mentioned about the blue-haired tanned male.

"Ryota told me firsthand." He paused for a moment as he stared at his unmoving pieces on the board and looked up the bright blue skies that reminded him about a sky-bluenette. "Oh, and Daiki, if you really want Kamiko to forgive you for being such an idiotic baboon, I doubt that I could help you with that."

_"O-Oy, Akashi—"_

"Because she thinks that it's not your fault. She didn't regret taking that blow for you, Daiki, that is something certain."

_"E-Eh? But Akashi-kun—"_

"It was her choice to do something, something that even I was caught in surprise. Remember that deal? If she told you that she was grateful that you kept such a, if I dare say it, stupid promise, then that's all she needed to forgive you, Daiki, if there was something really to forgive."

* * *

><p>The players of both teams were panting like crazy, and currently trying to cool themselves down with the two minute time out asked by Riko and for once, Kamiko, who barely gets tired in a game, was panting lightly.<p>

With how tired they all are, one wouldn't even guess that they have only been playing for 5 minutes. It had been one of the intense 5 minutes that the team has gone through, with the pace in which both teams switch on offense and defense alternatively. If Kamiko hadn't been back at the courts when the game resumed as well as operating her speed ability and her fake passes to full, Seirin wouldn't have lasted as long as they did.

The current score is now at 25:22, with Kaijo in the lead.

"Seriously, this isn't easy," Moriyama Yoshitaka commented, glancing at Kasamatsu.

"Yeah, that freshmen duo is brutal," Kasamatsu nodded as he agreed. "You should have been able to handle Kagami." He added, glancing at Kise who was sitting beside him. "But what's with that girl… should I even say that she's invisible? She's got a relatively strong presence, but the fact she disappears and appears out of nowhere is not normal." _'… I can't place the face. My clouded memory be damned!'_

Kise grinned goofily like a love-sick idiot at the mere mention of his best friend and former instructor. "I know, right?" The blonde was still grinning as he continued. "Mikocchi's actually—"

"Why the hell are you so happy?" Kasamatsu yelled, pissed at his happy attitude as he punched Kise in the stomach.

"It's okay," Kise stated, grunted as he removed Kasamatsu's fist from his stomach. "The balance will tip soon enough."

* * *

><p>Over at Seirin's bench, the short brunette was trying to come up with an effective enough plan with the two remaining two minutes that they have in order to counter Kise, as Kagami alone wasn't enough to stop the blonde. "Anyway, we have to deal with Kise-kun first," Riko stated as she looked at her players.<p>

"I can't believe that Kagami can't handle the guy by himself." Hyuuga shook his head lightly as he commented. "Should we put another guy on him?"

"Huh? Hey, wait a damn…" Kagami caught himself in mid-sentence. "Please."

"Please?" Riko glanced at Kagami in confusion.

Before Kagami can say anything, Kamiko interrupted. "I'll mark myself against Ryota and Kagami will still continue what he does," she said as she stared at the ground, not needing to look at the faces of her tired teammates whose tired expression were replaced with surprise and confusion. The sky-bluenette doesn't want to tell her new team anything about her best friend and former student, but she couldn't see any option left to choose from. If she knows the blonde like she does, she knows that he will leak the only weak point of her speed and fake pass ability to his team as well.

"With that, there is also a way," Kamiko said, and all pairs of eyes were now on her. Everyone, Kagami and Riko especially, have their full attention on her.

"Eh?"

* * *

><p>"What's that supposed to mean?" Kasamatsu asked Kise in confusion. "That the balance will tip soon enough?"<p>

"Because they have a weakness."

* * *

><p>"A weakness?" Riko repeated slowly, trying to understand what Kamiko was trying to say.<p>

"What? You should've told us sooner," Hyuuga glanced at Kamiko who lightly shook her head.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if you could call it a weakness, but it's more of an opening than a weakness," Kamiko continued. "There's another problem. I can't be continually using my high-speed passing consecutively or it will be used to their utmost advantage."

* * *

><p>"W-What?"<p>

"Her phantom speed isn't something that she can use for the whole 40 minutes," Kise explained.

"Wait, what?" Kasamatsu was confused.

"Mikocchi has a relatively strong presence, like you said and that's correct, but the fact that she could disappear and appear out of the blue isn't magic or anything special." Kise continued to explain as he quickly glanced at the sky-bluenette, who surprisingly has a frown plastered all over her face, then looked back at his captain. "She's swift on foot, that's how she was able to move quicker than the speed of sound and light and one wouldn't have guessed that she would disappear somehow." Realization shone on Kasamatsu's face as he realized what Kise had meant. "The fact that she has a rather sharp eye in harmony with her quick foot continuously; creating the illusion she had disappeared as she passes the ball round about." Kise then grinned, catching sight of his captain's attention focusing solely then on the sky-bluenette. "The more she uses it, the more it is to our utmost advantage, and its effect gradually decreases."

* * *

><p>"Why didn't you tell us anything so important sooner?"<p>

The coach looked almost ready to spit fire at the girl for not even mentioning this bit about her Quick Pass ability, though honestly, because as she researched, the lady coach has no single clue about how Kamiko really was capable of.

"I'm sorry, but you didn't ask."

Riko had an irk on her forehead. "Don't you say anything unless you're asked?" she screamed. 'I was careless for not thinking this ridiculous strategy through without any risk.'

A whistle was blown just then.

"Time out is over!"

"It ended while I was screaming at Miko-chan!"

The players were all returning to the courts, whilst Kagami approached Riko. "I think it's best that Karadai stays on him while I continue to do what I did the past 4 minutes of the game, please." He added the last part as an afterthought.

Riko deadpanned. "Why are you acting so polite?" She asked as Kagami rushed out to the court. "Hey wait! Switch from man-to-man zone defense! Keep solid defense on the inside, and move to stop Kise-kun quickly if Miko-chan would fail to do so!"

"Got it!"

"Also," She looked at Kamiko, who was apparently the last one to enter the court then. "Miko-chan, don't let them show your trump cards all at once if only necessary, okay?" Riko told the taller girl. "Can you do that?"

Kamiko nodded. "I'll do my best," the sky-bluenette answered as she hurried back onto the court, rubbing her right arm unconsciously. Already twice during the first half, she had to twist her body so that she can receive and pass the ball using her left instead of her right. With her current condition, she couldn't think of it possible to use her once-dominant arm, even if she's done what she could to make use of it again and has already proved to herself that it's ready.

Kamiko glanced down at the arm spandex covering her whole right arm.

_Don't you dare forget that you have me, Kamiko._

She heard Akkiko speak in a whisper, making her smile a little and nodded as she finally focused her head into the game.

_'I won't.'_

* * *

><p>"What'd you say?" Kagami narrowed his eyes at Kise.<p>

The first half had just come to an end, with Kaijo still having the upper hand. Kagami was more tired than any of his teammates, though Kamiko had been the one head-to-head with Kise, successfully blocking most of the blonde's shots, much to Kaijo's dismay and Seirin's relief, and it was then that he realized that Kamiko was not exaggerating in the least about the strength of the Generation of Miracles.

If Kise was the weakest of the bunch, how much stronger would the others be?

"The gap between out scores might get bigger, but it certainly won't get smaller. More than formations or strategies, basketball is about your build. A sport in size. The difference between your team and ours is just too great. You were the only one who stood a chance against us, but I see now how good you are. I'll admit that you have potential," The blonde's eyes flickered at the expressionless Kamiko, who just stood there with a hand on her hip, looking straight at him with blank eyes. "But you're still far below me. No matter what you throw at me, with just one look, I'll return it twice as good. You can struggle, but you'll never beat me. The real world isn't that easy."

_**Flashback: Just before the first half resumed for the last two minutes**_

_"As I mentioned the other day, about Ryota's ability as the copycat," Kamiko pressed her lips as she paused, causing everyone to listen intently. "I was the one who showed him the basics of his Perfect Copy ability."_

_Riko looked at the sky-bluenette, whose honey-glazed gaze felt cold at the moment as she looked at each pair of eyes, landing at the coach's brunette eyes at last. "If you're the one who taught him his current ability, should there be a weakness in his Perfect Copy ability?"_

_Kamiko nodded. "To that, I am certain that there is." She continued. "Remember when I said that he learns plays as soon as he sees them firsthand and makes them his own, right? Once he makes them firstly, he couldn't do it the second time around." She glanced at the blonde at the other bench then back at her teammates. "Though, that was during middle school. I wouldn't know for sure how much to the extent he's taken his ability since graduation." The sky-bluenette looked at Riko. "My theory isn't ready for conclusion, but it's something that you might need to know. As far as I observed, if he's improved his ability quickly since graduation, he might be able to copy a play that's exceeds his capacity; for example, the Generation of Miracles' individual play, and even mine."_

_Riko blinked at the last part that the sky-bluenette had said but nodded as if satisfied with the sky-bluenette's brief explanation. "We can take it from there, now that we know a possible hole in his ability."_

_**End of Flashback**_

Just then, Kagami burst into laughter, laughing like a maniac. Everyone, except Kamiko, can only wonder if he had lost his sanity.

"Gomen, gomen. I'm just so happy." The redhead managed to sober up after laughing. "It's been a long time since anyone had said that to me. I heard it all the time over there—in America."

"Eh? You lived in America?" Kise's eyes lit up. "That's amazing!"

"I thought that I'd jumped the gun by coming back here to play. Hearing you say that is really encouraging." Kagami then grinned. "Life is all about challenges. There's no point in living if there's no one strong to play. It's better if I can't win."

Upon hearing that, Kamiko's eyes widened a light fraction.

_"No matter how hard you try, and no matter how talented you are, you can never beat a regular of the basketball team." A Teiko regular looked arrogantly down at the freshman Aomine Daiki, who eventually got to his feet. "I won't lose to a freshman. I admit that you have potential, but come back in a year."_

_Drills and training at Hanzo Juniour High were already done as she dropped by at the Teiko gym to see Akashi and Momoi, only to see an oddly familiar blue-haired tanned male who was grinning at the male who looked like another regular of the basketball team to whom he was speaking to. Curious, she watched just a fair distance at the duo._

_"That's what I like to hear," he declared, and the regular frowned. "It won't be fun if I can win so easily. Sports are all about challenges after all! It will even be better if I can't win!"_

Kamiko blinked as she recalled that memory that she thought she's forgotten. Then smiled to herself.

_Yeah, I know what you're thinking, Kami. Taiga is much like the past Daiki._

The sky-bluenette nodded in agreement with Akkiko's statement as she looked over at Ryota and Kagami who were still talking.

"Don't you think it's a little too soon to be saying that you've won? We've only just played for the first half," Kagami pointed out as he walked past Kise and towards where Kamiko and Izuki were standing. "Besides, thanks to you, I now know your weakness. And I guess I can understand why Karadai didn't say it." He stretched out a long arm and grabbed hold of Kamiko, almost losing her balance as he pulled her over. "With one look? What if you don't see it? Against someone who is visible yet invisible at the same time, it's impossible." Everyone on the court was now listening as they all hold their breaths, particularly Seirin and Riko. "No matter how athletic you are, you'll never achieve an invisible basketball style. In other words… It's her, right? She's your weakness!" He grabbed hold of Kamiko by the top of her head, presenting her as if she is something to be shown off.

On the other hand, as he still grinning like an idiot, the sky-bluenette's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as her shoulders were shaking lightly. She wasn't able to compose herself as she was being dragged upon and messing her hair at the same time.

"Kagami, hands off," Kamiko glanced at Kagami, her aura mildly radiating irritation as Izuki and the others began to back away with the other Kaijo players blinked in confusion, particularly Kasamatsu and Kise.

And as much as he hates to admit it, even to himself, Kise knew that Kagami was right. Kamiko's play style is something he couldn't copy even if he wanted to.


	6. Chapter 6

All the way in Touou Academy, Aomine gulped nervously.

Granted, he'd already told Momoi not to call the redhead, but he was somewhat thankful that she did, or he wouldn't be able to realize something that Akashi was telling him just now.

_"B-Before we parted, she said that she was grateful that I kept my end of the deal,"_ Aomine's voice lowered as he picked the cell-phone from Satsuki, turning off the loud-speaker and placed the cell-phone against his ear._ "I… back when Satsuki said that I was so immersed with my guilt about what happened during that day, not once did I forget about Kamiko. I already knew that she didn't want to see me or any of us in the hospital, that's why I decided to stop coming by."_ He pressed his lips as he looked at the basket. _"Not when I immediately recognized her at the Nationals as that girl back then; it was impossible to forget about her."_

In Rakuzan High, Akashi said nothing for several moments, his fingers hovering above a shogi piece, in the midst of making a move when Aomine had surprised him so much with that last part.

The redhead remembered when he dropped by at the hospital, to the room where she was admitted after finding out that most of them hadn't been able to visit her much since they had their own lives to deal with. To start with, outside school, basketball had been one of the many sports that had helped the two best friends to bond more when they were younger, even after Akashi's mother died before his first school day and when Kamiko's parents were still alive, as they were always busy with basketball coaching at Kyoto, to which he later found out that it was Rakuzan High that they were busy with basketball coaching.

There is a street basketball court not from the elementary school that they always go to, and every after class, the two best friends often spend their time there. Always playing street ball had helped to hone their basketball skills, and this, both best friends managed to get into the first string regulars the moment that they have entered their respective middle schools.

Soon, Akashi found his mind wandering once more to when he managed to corner Kamiko after graduation, when she was still recovering in the hospital.

_"__I heard you've told the nurse that you didn't want to see anyone, especially me," Akashi told his best friend bluntly as he took the food tray with an empty plate from her bed table and placed them at the top of the table near the door and he came back to sit at the side of her bed and looked at her. "Why?"_

_Kamiko pressed her lips into a thin line as she looked at the window, her right arm covered in thick gauze. "I wouldn't even want to know how you convinced my nurse to let you in, Sei," The sky-bluenette chuckled dryly, still not looking at him as she rubbed her right arm unconsciously and he noticed this. "The reason why I stopped coming by the Teiko gym in our third year was the same reason I told the nurse that I didn't want to see anyone anymore._

_Akashi twitched and frowned as Kamiko interrupted his thoughts._

_"__It's not basketball anymore," The sky-bluenette turned to face her best friend. "It's become something that Hanamiya would do, even what the former team would do even." Kamiko ignored the murderous look that was present on his face, probably tired of trying to calm him down like she did the past month that he was visiting her. "I stopped dropping by because I felt ashamed when I see you guys hating the game more and more. It came to such a point that I hated basketball too and so much that I wanted to quit playing for last Nationals. I didn't want to see you hate the sport."_

_Yes, he'd admit that he hated the game the most, gradually starting little by little when 2__nd__ year turned over, actually. He had known this and no one dared pointed it out, because well, they too hated the game as well. The game grew boring to him, not much a challenge anymore since becoming undefeatable after the wiping out and crushing every middle school opponent team that came in Teiko's way. It grew boring to him because… she wasn't present anymore._

_To him, it somehow depleted his already-low motivation to play basketball. He couldn't blame her for wanting to hate him or any of them for that matter, for hating the sport. He couldn't blame her. He simply couldn't blame her for anything._

_He hated himself for that, but then… People change. People's way of thinking varies constantly. That's how weak human species can be. How pathetic. How pathetic of him for making her feel like this._

_For making her so heartbroken for watching him and the others change for the worse right in front of her eyes._

_'__I'm the worst human being to have ever walked on Earth.'_

_"__So, it was because of me." It was not a question, but rather a statement. The wince from his best friend answered his hypothesis and he gave out a heavy sigh. He, along with Momoi, is the only ones who can actually read Kamiko's emotions, since no one really knows what she is thinking. "I see…"_

_"__It's not your fault or others," Kamiko said, looking down at her bandaged right arm, but he knew that the deep hurt that she tried to mask with her usual monotone contradicted that statement. "Basketball is no longer fun for any of them. Me too…" The sky-bluenette glanced at the expressionless redhead. "It's no longer fun for me too."_

_"__Fun, huh?" He mused. Now that she mentioned it, when was the last time he actually had fun playing basketball? Back in first year? Or second year?_

_"__Don't even think that I'm leaving you out of the bunch. Worse, you who taught me street basketball when we were in 1__st__ grade, you changed. You hated the game most." Kamiko told her best friend bluntly. _

"Penguin."

_"__Huh?"_

Akashi gave a small huff. "Penguins are her favourite animals, so a penguin stuff toy would do." The redhead then leaned his head against the wall. "If that's all—"

_"__T-Thanks, Akashi! I'll find one right now!" _Aomine still sounded nervous, but it betrayed his happiness that was somehow radiating though the phone.

Akashi blinked, shaking his head at the tanned male's obvious interest at his best friend, though a small bubble of jealousy rose somewhere inside of him. "Then I'll take my leave. Good luck, Daiki." Then he ended the call, leaving him in his thoughts.

* * *

><p>The second quarter is soon well underway with the practice match between Seirin High School and Kaijo High School.<p>

The score currently stand at 34-39, with Kaijo being in the lead. And Kaijo is still sticking to man-to-man defense, thus making it difficult for the Seirin players to go on the offense.

Izuki, who had received the ball from Hyuuga, was immediately guarded by a Kaijo player, and quickly passed the ball over to Kamiko who was standing nearby, but was also currently guarding by Kise himself.

"Oh, Mikocchi, I never dreamed that we'd play like this," he said, grinning.

Kamiko neither smiled nor frowned, as she dribbled the ball. "Neither did I, Ryota." To that, she bent her knees low, her eyes focused on his, managing to keep a steady breathing. Kise noticed this was a little distracted as the sky-bluenette then, her eyes still on his, moved in accordance like a slender snake, with him struggling to keep up with her pace. Kamiko then finding a small opening at his stance, then proceeded with a fair distant one step back, positioned to jump and shoot the ball for a good 3 points when Kise managed then to keep up with her, noticing that as he tried to stop the ball on air, he realized that it wasn't really there but still on Kamiko's hands as she passed it to Kagami who was just behind the blonde was quick to take advantage of Kise's shock to perform a two pointer shot which immediately went in, making the score 36-39, with Kaijo still on the lead.

"Nice shot!" Fukuda Hiroshi cheered from Seirin's bench.

Back on the court, Kise was panting, since it's taking him a lot to just deal with Kamiko's sudden change of play, now that Kagami was in the picture, coordinating with her play rather flawlessly with their other teammates, and the play of the entire Kaijo team is slowly getting messed up because of the confusion with Seirin's sudden change of play.

_'__Her play just now… she would have made a 3-point shot, but instead passed the ball to Kagami to make the shot for her. What the hell, Mikocchi? I know you're capable to make the shot yourself!'_

Kamiko was still standing in front of Kise as she looked at him carefully. "I know you, Ryota, so no, I'm still not showing my trump cards unless it's necessary." She glanced at Kagami, who was panting heavily, then glanced back at the confused blonde. "I could easily win and you know that well, but this is different now. I'm different."

To that, Kise glared. "You really have changed, Mikocchi." He said, "You weren't playing this kind of basketball in middle school, but you still can't stop me. I will be the winner."

"Please… do settle that with basketball, Ryota," Kamiko said, making the blonde frown at her words.

_"__Words alone without actions are empty words," Kamiko once told him at their practice as she was teaching him. "If you want your words meaty, settle it with actions." She shrugged lightly as she faced the blonde once again. "Actions speak louder than words, remember that."_

Kise moved to receive the ball that his teammate had passed to him and Kagami grinned. "Not so fast," he said, and Kise stopped in his tracks as Kamiko moved instantly to guard him.

The blonde grinned as Kamiko has positioned herself as defense. "I should thank you for being my former instructor, Mikocchi. It's been fun."

Kamiko didn't move from her spot as she looked at the blonde with a faint smirk playing on her lips. "You still have so much to learn, Ryota. You're making it sound like it's your last goodbye. Gross." To which, Kise chuckled lightly.

_"__If you're in a tight situation just like what happened just now," Kamiko pointed out what happened in their practice, when the blonde was holding on the ball too long as he was guarded by two Teiko practice opponent players. "Sometimes, the best offense is the best defense."_

"I don't know what you're up to, but you can't stop me, Mikocchi!" Kise told Kamiko as he made it past her easily. Kagami then immediately moved to block Kise as the blonde made it past the sky-bluenette.

"Wrong, we're not going to stop you." Kagami grinned.

"We're taking it!"

Kamiko took advantage of his distraction, and stole the ball from behind him, immediately passing it to Izuki who was nearby and the second year took off down the court.

"It doesn't matter how amazing your play is against us," Kagami stated. "Since our objective here is letting you through!"

Izuki scored the ball into the basket, and the Seirin side cheered.

Riko grinned._ 'Not even Kise-kun can react in time to someone who is like a phantom coming up from behind him.'_

Kise looked annoyed. "How about if I don't run by you?" He challenged, dribbling the ball next. "No one said that I couldn't shoot a three pointer!" He took position to shoot a three pointer, but Kamiko reached him before the ball could leave his hands, with the redhead jumping up in the air and knocked the ball from his hands as it landed on Kamiko's hands and she passed through the surprised Kise and faked pass Izuki, who seem to know what she was really supposed to do but played along in order the fake pass to work, catching the two Kaijo players, who were standing in guard of their basket, in surprise then Kamiko leaps backwards just on the three-point perimeter, much to Kise's horror, as the ball flew into the air, shooting the basket immediately.

_'__She's in harmony with her other teammates, something that I've never thought I would see again from almost all her school's match tournaments! This doesn't look good.'_

One of the main reasons why the Uncrowned Kings was as feared as they were during the three years of middle school, even as the Generation of Miracles came into the picture is also partly because of Kamiko's coordinative play with her teammates, as to be in-sync with one another. They can easily alter their play style, swiftly alternatively switching from defense to offense then vice versa during the whole game, to suit each other's abilities, and in that way, confusing the opposing team by coming up with different play styles and strategies each time, the former taking two or three pointers easily.

As a Kaijo player comes to rebound the ball, Kamiko overtakes him easily, tapping the ball towards Kagami who caught in the process as he immediately headed towards the basket.

_'__An outside shot takes too much movement. These guys are a pain!' _Kasamatsu thought in annoyance, as he glanced at the sky-bluenette, who looked as if she didn't break any sweat at all after their short time out during the first half. _'And that Karadai's the one making this happen! As expected as being part of the infamous Uncrowned Kings.'_

"Fast attack!"

Kise growled as he turned quickly in hopes to retrieve the ball before they can score a shot, but failed to notice that Kamiko was already right behind him. As a result, his fist swung back, and luckily, Kamiko had the quickest reflexes, she was able to dodge the hit with her right hand blocking her face from his careless swing, her hand gently holding his back hand, catching the blonde and even everyone in surprise.

"M-Mikocchi?" Kise then turned sideways, finding his hand too near her face. The colour on his face drained as he took note that the sky-bluenette was using her right hand to block his fist, causing her to slightly wince at the impact, making him realize that the supposed hit was hard on her due to the fact that despite having her right arm exercised daily, it wasn't that strong yet.

"Keep your hands to yourself; this would cause injuries to your fellow teammates, even to your opponents. Please watch yourself—" Kamiko started to sway, losing her balance on her feet as all eyes were suddenly on her, with shocked looks being reflected on the faces of the Seirin players.

"Miko-chan!" Riko panicked upon seeing the girl take a fall to the ground but Kise was already in front of the sky-bluenette, catching her in his arms before she could even hit the floor, lowering them both to the ground gently.

"Ryota?" The sky-bluenette mumbled, recognizing the familiar blonde hair in front of her, feeling a wet, cool liquid running down her forehead, with her then closed her right eye as the blood continued to ooze slowly from the cut on her forehead since apparently the blow was strong, even if she did try to block it.

Kise was pale and shaking, and he looked absolutely horrified with what he had unintentionally done just moments ago. "I… hurt Mikocchi…" he whispered in horror. "I hurt her… I was supposed to protect you especially after…" He was still shaking as Kagami and Hyuuga gently took Kamiko from Kise and led her over to Seirin's bench. Kise then remembered something and paled even further. _'Akashicchi and the others are going to kill me.'_

* * *

><p>"What are we going to do?" Hyuuga asked worriedly even as he stared at their youngest and only girl player, who had her eyes closed because of the blood loss, and because Riko bandaged her cut using her mediocre first-aid skills and ordered her to rest and not to think about anything else.<p>

"Miko-chan can't play anymore," Riko stated, turning to face her players. "We'll have to make do with the players that we have left."

"Make do…?" Kawahara repeated in confusion.

"Isn't this going to be tough without Kamiko?" Fukuda voiced out in worry and concern.

Riko shook her head lightly then gets over to pass on the instruction. "The second years will be our offensive core." She said. "It's only the second quarter, but we can't let them get too far ahead of us." She glanced at Hyuuga. "I know it's early, but it's game time, Hyuuga-kun," Hyuuga nodded. "Kise-kun will just copy you," Riko then faced Kagami. "So don't play offense. Focus on defense. Do everything you can to stop Kise-kun from scoring."

Kagami was taken aback at the plan. "Are you sure that will work?" He asked, doubtful about the plan. After all, he had seen just what Kise was capable of, even able to break through his defenses.

"It'll be fine. Have some faith." Hyuuga looked at Kagami, annoyed. _'Are you looking down on your seniors?'_

"But…"

A shift of aura around Hyuuga changed and Kagami blinked.

"I said that it'll be fine, dumbass." Hyuuga said with a nice smile that seems a little too nice to be true. "Listen to your seniors once in a while, or I'll kill you." The whistle went off just then, and Hyuuga grumbled as he headed back to the court. "Geez, the freshmen these days… You should show more respect for your seniors! And get on your knees!"

Kagami stared blankly.

Izuki can only stare at their apparently bipolar captain. "You're showing your true colors, Captain," he called then turned towards the redhead. "Don't worry about him. He's always like that during clutch time. When he speaks his mind, he won't miss many of his shots. Leave the offense to us. You just defend like your life depends on it."

As they were back on court without Kamiko then, Riko pressed her lips into a thin line as she was deep in thought, sitting back at the bench as the games resumed. _'It's nearly the third quarter and Kamiko isn't on court, leaving us hanging on a thin line. Damnit, Miko-chan please be well sooner. We need you.'_

Without any much realization that the coach thought that last part out loud, behind her, she jerked as she heard a shuffle, coming from the sky-bluenette, who was already sitting up and Riko was chilled at the sight of a faint smirk across Kamiko's lips.

"I heard you, Riko. I'll get back in."

* * *

><p>The huffs and puffs of a black haired teenager could be heard, being almost out of breath as he pedaled one his bicycle with all his strength, pulling a rear car behind him in which a green-haired teen was sitting in.<p>

"Damn it! We were supposed to trade at the signal," Kazunari Takao grumbled even as he pedaled on, leaving a very confused grade schooler standing by the side of the road, staring at the rear car with wide eyes. "You haven't pedaled even once!"

"Thank you for stating such an obvious statement." The green-haired teen replied calmly as he held his Tsukiyo drink in his left hand, his fingers bandaged as usual. "Today's Oha-Asa horoscope predicted the greatest of days for Cancers like me."

"What does that have to do with this?!" Takao shouted at Midorima, annoyed. "Anyway, if we're coming all the way out here just to watch a practice match, your friends better be good!"

"It's the copycat and the swifty girl," Midorima adjusted his eyeglasses as he answered.

"Are they good—wait, _girl?_"

Midorima ignored his companion's question. "Hurry up, or the game will be over."

_"__It's your fault for reading horoscopes!"_

* * *

><p>It's currently the middle of the fourth quarter, and there was a hushed silence over the court, particularly with the spectators, as Kamiko was already back in court just before third quarter resumed and Kagami noticed that there was a change in Kamiko as she was playing until now, even after her head injury.<p>

_'__She seems different now; how she was playing now and the first two quarters are entirely different. This is more or less…' _Kagami thought as he quickly glanced at her, as she darted her way through three Kaijo players, dribbling the ball as she darted her eyes right to left, quickly made a short leap to do a shot and the Kaijo players who were three-walling her followed her movement and to that, she immediately bent down as she passed again through their defense and made a dunk on the basket, scoring for Seirin.

_'__It's more or less… destructive.' _Kagami was defending a Kaijo player as he was still concluding. _'I'm pretty sure that this isn't her fullest yet. Yet.'_

And as she made the shot, the surprised Kaijo players recovered quickly as they tried to rebound the ball then but to no avail, for she already got the ball before they even thought about rebounding it then passed it to Hyuuga, with the captain taking a shot at the goal, hereby bringing the game count to 82-82 with just 5 minutes to go.

"They're tied!"

Takeuchi was twitching like mad, whilst the Seirin bench was cheering.

Kise stared on in shock. _'We're tied?' _he thought. _'Am I really… going to lose here?'_

_"__Don't let your emotions get the worst out of you, even in a sport like basketball." Kamiko told him as she took a three-pointer flawlessly, with him watching her in awe. "Don't be a careless goose, okay?"_

_"__She's right, Ryota. You should really listen to your instructor," Akashi walked towards them with two fresh towels and two bottles of water in hand. Kise looked at Akashi coming into full view as the redhead passed the towels and the bottles._

_"__Win or lose, having fun is the first and foremost priority when it comes to sports such as basketball. That's the main challenge of it." Kamiko grinned as Akashi playfully suffocated her with the fresh towel, in an attempt to dab her sweaty face, causing the sky-bluenette to shove him away in mock disgust. "If your purpose to play basketball is only for reputation, then don't think about touching the ball in the first place."_

Kise curled his hands into fists. _'I'm sorry, Mikocchi, but I have to win this, win against you.' _He then smirked darkly as his entire aura changed completely, and Kamiko already noticed this and Kagami then realized what was going on, but before either one of them could say or do anything; Kise immediately took off down the court in a burst of speed, even managing to bypass Kamiko and stole the ball, dunking it into the goal.

_"__But, what would happen if I let my emotions get the worst out of me, Mikocchi?"_

_The girl was silent for a few moments as she pondered on what words to say to the blonde. _

_"__You might lose sight of the purpose of why you're playing basketball." She glanced at him with a smile. "Do you still remember what purpose it was?" To which, the blonde grinned._

_"__To have fun!"_

Kamiko frowned as the blonde dropped on the ground lightly, with the ball now aimlessly bouncing after the dunk. She glanced then at the shocked Kagami then at the almost-murderous look that was written all over Kise's face.

_He remembered what you once told him when you were still teaching him, but he chose to discard it just to win._

The sky-bluenette heard Akkiko's note and sighed lightly and Kagami took a glance at Kamiko, noticing that she was calm despite Kise's sudden change.

The redhead then recalled what Kamiko had told him once.

_"__It isn't something you can understand by words alone. It's something you can comprehend only if you were present during that time too. Slowly but surely, they changed. And by the time we reached the Nationals in our third year, I can openly say that no one on Hanzo and Teiko loves basketball anymore."_

_'__This is…' _Kagami gulped as he stared at Kise who looked pissed. _'… the Generation of Miracles?'_

"I won't lose!" Kise declared. "Not to anyone, not even Mikocchi." _'Seirin isn't worthy enough for Mikocchi.' _The blonde thought angrily as he glared at the Seirin team. _'I'll prove it—I'll prove it in this match!'_

"This isn't good." Hyuuga grinned wryly. "Give it your all, everyone. This'll be just like the first quarter from here on out. A back and forth run and gun game!"

With just three minutes to go, and with the game count at 82-84 with Kaijo in the lead, it soon became a repeat of the first quarter—with both teams being back at scoring points one after the other without defending at all.

The time on the clock is simply ticking away, and now with fifteen seconds left to spare, both teams were tied at 98 points each.

Kamiko glanced at the clock. Ten seconds to go. No helping it.

"Kagami, if we can get the ball, there is one more thing that we can do that Ryota can't copy." Kamiko glanced at Kagami as she was telling him this and glanced at the agitated blonde on the court. "It is a simple strategy that can work only once though." Looking at the redhead, she asked. "Can you shoot?"

_'__There's less than ten seconds left.' _Riko thought. _'We don't have the strength to play overtime!' _"You can't just defend. Take the ball now!"

_Seven seconds left._

Hyuuga cursed to himself as a Kaijo player leapt up into the air, aiming for the shot. _'Shimat-ta—'_

Almost immediately, Kamiko appeared seemingly out of nowhere, knocking the ball out of the air before it could go into the goal. Hyuuga grabbed the ball, tossing it down the court towards Kagami and Kamiko's direction, with Kamiko grabbing the ball.

Kise immediately blocked the duo's way to the goal, and Kamiko looked dead straight into the blonde's eyes as she dribbled.

_"__Tell me, Ryota, do you still remember why we play basketball?"_

To that, Kise's eyes widened in surprise at her words, but before he could recover quickly, he then caught sight of Kamiko's sad expression as she swiftly passed through the blonde, tapping the ball towards Kagami, shocking Kise.

_'__Kagami can only dunk! Not shoot!' _Kise thought to himself. From his short experience with playing with the redhead that day, he's never seen him shoot even today. How could he possibly shoot when he only knows how to dunk? _'With only two of them, he'll have to pass it back to Mikocchi to make the shot!'_

Kagami quickly glanced at Kamiko, who only nodded in encouragement before he took an aim towards the goal, much to everyone's shock and surprise.

_'__H-He shot the ball?' _Kise spluttered in shock.

_Two seconds left…_

"No…!" Kasamatsu realized what Kagami's plan is even as Kamiko leapt up into the air and grabbed the ball. "It's an alley-oop!"

"I won't let you!" Kise shouted as he jumped behind Kamiko, reaching for the ball. The angle has slightly shifted as he realized he bumped into her back and Kamiko's aim was disrupted just a little. He was surprised as they were still in mid-air and Kamiko's left hand which was holding onto the ball, she passed it on her right hand.

_"__It's to have fun!"_

Her head was still hanging low as her lips quirked downward, with her right hand hooking on her side as she shoots from their back, the ball eventually shooting the basket with a buzzer beater and the whistle blew, with the game count being at 100-98, in favour of Seirin.

_"__W-Woah! What was the shot just now!?" _

_"__T-That's… a formless back shot!"_

_"__Who the hell is she?!"_

* * *

><p>Seirin was ecstatic over their victory after they've gotten a quick shower and have changed into their uniforms, with Kaijo seeing them off outside the gym, dealing with their loss extremely well and in a good natured way. The atmospheres surrounding the two coaches are entirely different however. Takeuchi looked enraged while Riko was practically grinning.<p>

"Because we're in different districts, if we play again, it'll be at Inter High." Kasamatsu said with a smile, grasping Hyuuga's hand in a handshake.

"We'll be there," Hyuuga answered. "I don't want to confess my love butt naked."

The smile on Riko's face was enough to match a Cheshire cat's smile, as Kasamatsu was confused over his comment.

"Let's go!" Hyuuga ordered, as the other Seirin players followed closely behind. Kamiko was at the last to prepare to move off with the rest of her team and Kasamatsu noticed this.

"Uh, Karadai! Good game back there."

Kamiko reached for her duffel bag as she heard her name being called and turned to see that it was the Kaijo captain walking towards her, looking all flustered.

"Ah, thanks."

The thought that has been nagging him ever since he laid eyes on the sky-bluenette became reality that hit him squarely on the face. Kasamatsu blinked as he just realized that she was… she was actually the same girl that he met once before. Where was it again? Oh, the street court that was nearly a block away from his apartment. To be honest, he was actually looking forward to seeing her again after that one time. Since the court was along the route going home, he would often drop by just as quick to check if she was at least present. Though it so happened that every single time that she wasn't there, he didn't give up. The new-found hope he received from the said girl was all the proof the captain needed that they'll definitely see each other again.

_Soon is indefinite, but yes, soon._

And that made him realize that that soon was… today.

"You're… Kasamatsu Yukio-senpai, right?"

That caught his attention as he lifted his head to look at her, seeing a small gentle smile across her lips and he blushed.

_'__That smile… I never thought I get to see it again.'_

"Y-Yeah, uh… I didn't get your first name though," He glanced at her again with her eyebrows raised and began to feel all flustered again. "I-I mean, if err, if that's okay!" The Kaijo captain scratched his cheek awkwardly as he avoided her honey-glazed eyes.

The Kaijou captain remembered that moment when he asked for her name the first time around and she said that…

_It's for me to know and for you to find out!_

He did think she was serious, though, but she was teasing him. In the end, however, she never told him her name, after all. That reminds him, will she say it then? Will she tell him her name at last? The though made him nervous inwardly in excitement.

The sky-bluenette wore on her jersey jacket and giggled softly at his nervousness. "You blush and fluster too much for a guy, you know." He slightly pouted as he realized that she was teasing him. "Kamiko. My name's Kamiko." She faced the Kaijo captain once again, ignoring the whistles from his teammates. "Kami or Miko is fine, since Kamiko is a tad bit long." The sky-bluenette took note of his confusion and smiled. "Ja, I'll take my leave, Kasamatsu-senpai."

She turned her heel towards the exit as she stopped by a gentle hand that was wrapped around her left wrist and she was surprised at this. Kamiko then turned to face the captain, who had a light blush across his cheeks as he smiled.

"Yukio. Please call me Yukio... Kami."

Kamiko tilted her head slightly and nodded. "Alright then." She paused and smiled. "See you soon, Yukio."

Okay, where is the Kasamatsu Yukio who takes pride in being an upperclassman? The one who would go all the way to tell those younger than him to call him by 'Kasamatsu-_**senpai**_'? Where did that Kasamatsu Yukio, who would hit anyone when one disrespects him, go? Don't worry, he's still there, but he's too overwhelmed. Would that word describe such? He doesn't think so. The steel-blue-eyed teen knew in himself that he's different when she's around and she has no idea. **No idea at all.**

To that, Kasamatsu was still smiling at her when he realized that he was still holding on her wrist and he blushed once more. "A-Ah! Sorry about that!" _'Stupid, stupid, Yukio for daydreaming!'_

Kamiko chuckled lightly as he took off his hand from her wrist. "It's fine. I do need to go or our coach will hunt me down. "Nice to formally meet you, Yukio." She bowed lightly as he did the same and left the gym, still within earshot as a Kaijou player, whom she remembered as the guy who was in front of her in the before-match greeting, asked the captain.

"So! I can't believe that! You actually talked to a girl without stuttering! No, don't tell me… SHE'S THE GIRL YOU'VE BEEN TALKING NONSTOP FOR MONTHS?! I'm amazed—"

Smack!

"GUAFF!"

"Shut up, Moriyama! Drop that this instant!"

Kamiko raised a brow, glancing just over her shoulder without being too obvious, as she saw the captain hit his fellow teammate rather hard, who looked like he was enjoying it though he also looked like he was suffering as well.

_I may not understand the situation you're in right now…_ _but I understand the pain in it a little._

_You're right. Despite how many times you fall, you just have to get up on your feet and move forward._

_If that's what basketball is to you, if you love basketball that much, you're not thinking of quitting are you?_

_S-Shall I see you soon? _

_Soon is indefinite, but yes, soon._

_That's my formal thanks, Senpai. See you soon._

"Kasamatsu Yukio," She hummed to herself as she looked forward once more. "You may not know it yourself, but you've been a big help back then. I am already moving forward now and it's all thanks to you… Yukio."

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Tell me, Ryota, do you remember why we play basketball?" _

_Kise's eyes widened in shock as he heard Kamiko speak, whilst catching sight of a sad expression that was all over her face and his chest ached._

_…_

_"__It's to have fun!"_

Meanwhile, Kise was standing at one of the sinks, running his head under the cold water of the tap to cool himself down. He stood like that for a minute or so before turning the water off, letting the water run down his head, as he was recalling the short exchange that he had with Kamiko during the last few seconds of today's match. Not that he liked to admit it, but, her question was eye-opening-or rather mind-opening. He remembered her clearly reminding him of why they play basketball back in the second year, but because he was drowned in his need to win against her in the practice match, he lost his way. He knew that and he didn't need anyone, even the sky-bluenette, to tell him that he lost sight of why he plays basketball in the first place just like the rest of the members of both legendary teams.

Footsteps approached him just then.

"Gemini's horoscope predicted terrible luck for you today, but I didn't think that you'd actually lose," A familiar voice was heard and Kise turned towards the owner of the voice.

"You came to watch, Midorimacchi?" Kise sighed.

Midorima Shintaro stood there cooling with the bandaged fingers of his left hand. "Well, either way, it was an unfortunate game," he commented, ignoring what Kise just asked. "I already know that you've never won against your very own former instructor but this is much worse. It's no wonder fate didn't choose your side."

Kise sighed. As always, every single time whenever he is with Midorima, the green-haired teen always ended up insulting him. The blonde had gotten used to the superstitious teen by now.

"I haven't seen you since Teiko," Kise ignored his last comment. "It's good to see you again." He then quickly glanced at his fingers. "And I see that you haven't stopped taping your fingers." He pointed out, leaning against the sinks. "Anyways, did you really come here to insult me like always?"

"I'm merely stating facts, Kise. That's why you're no good." Midorima said, annoyed at the oblivious blonde as he threw a green towel towards Kise, who caught it easily.

"Shouldn't you be talking to Mikocchi instead of me?" Kise asked, wondering why his former green haired teammate would come all the way to Kaijo High School just to watch a practice match between Kaijo and Seirin.

"There's no need." Midorima replied. "I not only acknowledge her style, but respect it too much. I cannot accept her decision to attend an obscure school like Seirin High. I simply came today to check up on her."

Kise sighed inwardly at this. So he's not the only who disapproves of Kamiko's choice, and doesn't feel that Seirin High School is worthy enough for her.

On cue, the Seirin players passed by, unaware of the two males on their far right. The blonde and the green haired teen haven't catch sight of a sky-blue crown among them but eventually did, as she was catching up with them from behind. Kise wondered why she was left behind at the gym, though.

"That's what you said, but I'm betting that Akashicchi sent you, didn't he?" Kise asked and at Midorima's twitch, the blonde knew that he had hit the nail on the head. "I knew it…" the blonde deadpanned.

There was a ringing of a bicycle bell just then, and both boys turned only to see an angry Takao riding his bicycle furiously, pedaling the rear car towards them, glaring at Midorima.

"Midorima, you bastard!" Takao yelled. "You left me alone in the middle of the traffic! Do you know how embarrassing that is?!"

Midorima merely shrugged and turned his attention back towards Kise. "I just came to watch the game today, but allow me to apologize. There's no way we'll lose to Seirin. I regret to tell you that you should give up on your revenge."

Even before the incident with Hanamiya, Kamiko had always been extremely observant and could notice things that most people could not. She even puts the observant ability of Teiko's manager and the Teiko's captain to shame; something that even her quick foot couldn't work without.

"Oh right, I nearly forgot." Midorima turned towards him and before Kise even knew what is going on, the green-haired male punched him squarely in the jaw, glaring the blonde through his glasses. "What were you thinking when you hurt Hime-san, Kise?" The green-haired teenage hissed at him, causing the blonde to bow his head in shame. "The fact that you even laid a hand on her is unforgivable, especially after we, the Generation of Miracles and the rest of the Uncrowned Kings, all vowed to protect her, especially after what happened back in third year," Midorima glared at Kise as he continued. "You were there when it happened. You saw how Akashi reacted when Hanamiya injured her, his own former captain, right before his eyes. You saw how furious he was!" He took out his cell phone and dialed a number. "I think Akashi wants to speak with you."

Kise then paled. If Akashi ever catches wind that he had injured Kamiko… he wouldn't even dared to think about it.

"Midorimacchi, do you need to tell him?" Kise pleaded. "Can't you tell him just this once?"

"Do I look like I want to get skinned alive along with you?" Midorima felt more annoyed then, his phone placed next to his ear and to that Kise knew what he had meant.

Akashi wouldn't be happy if information too important such as this is withheld from the former captain.

"Akashi?" Midorima spoke into his phone and Kise's eyes widened, paling ever further. The greenhaired male then glanced over at Kise. "He's present." He handed his phone to the blonde. "Akashi wants to talk to you."

Kise stared at the green haired male then at his phone and finally sighed. "Okay…" He then took the phone as he placed it against his ear. "Akashicchi?"

_"__Ryota." _The smooth voice on the line made the blonde gulp nervously. _"I heard what happened during the practice match."_

"I-It was an accident!" Kise squeaked. "I'm sorry!"

There was a short silence before Akashi spoke again. _"This is your first and final warning. Watch your neck if Kaijo ever meets Rakuzan." Click._

Kise looked at the phone in horror as Akashi hung up. He wondered if he can fake having a stomach ache if Kaijo ever ends up facing Touou, or **_heaven forbid_**, Rakuzan, in a match.

"Despite everything, I wish you the best of the luck, Kise." Midorima took the phone from the blonde, who still looked pale at his short exchange with Akashi then, and left him there unmoving from his spot with Takao yelling curses at the green haired male as they both went back to Shutoku High.

* * *

><p><em>From Tetsuya:<em>

_I heard you had your practice match with Kaijo High and won. Congratulations, Kami-nee! _

Riko dragged Kamiko over to the nearest hospital straight after leaving Kaijo High to get her head checked out first of all, and the entire team was relieved to learn that it isn't anything serious. Kamiko had to take things easy for the next couple of days, not to get her bandages wet also. It was only a minor injury, yes, and without any of her teammates' knowledge, Kamiko would have to play again alone during the days that she was supposed to rest. And she doesn't need to tell them anyway or Riko might have to lecture her, more length-ly in the next.

"All right, we won!" Koganei finally let out his excitement as the jubilation at winning the match against Kaijo High.

"Let's get something to eat on the way home." Izuki suggested.

"What do you want?" Hyuuga asked.

"Something cheap." Koganei piped up. "I'm broke."

"Well how much does everyone have after transportation costs?" Riko asked and the team soon started digging out their wallets to count their money only to realize that they barely have enough to feed even one person.

"Gah, let's go home," Hyuuga said at last, staring at the two ten yen coins in Riko's hand.

"Yeah," Koganei nodded in disappointment.

Kamiko sighed as she glanced around her surroundings. The nearest hospital that Riko had dragged her to had been in the Tokyo district, and they're currently not far from Sayou's restaurant.

"My mom's dearest friend owns a restaurant not far from here," Kamiko spoke up and all eyes rested on her. "I don't think she'll mind if I bring you over. She always complains that I don't bring enough friends over as it is."

"Eh? Your mom's friend?" Hyuuga repeated, as the rest of the team stared at her in confusion.

"Yeah it's this way."

* * *

><p>The signboard labeled 'Orpheus Heart' could be seen clearly above the restaurant as Kamiko opened the door, entering the restaurant with the rest of her team behind her.<p>

The restaurant has a homey cozy atmosphere. Small, but delightful to see. A smiling, charming lady somehow in her early 30's with dark reddish hair with blue streaks hair tied up in a neat bun with a dark blue apron on is standing behind the counter.

"Sayou-san!" Kamiko called out and the lady looked up in surprise and smiled at the sight of Kamiko.

"Miko-chan! It's been so long!" Sayou walked towards Kamiko. "Are these your friends?"

Kamiko nodded as she glanced at her teammates. "They're my teammates from the basketball club."

"Sorry for the interruption." Riko bowed, nudging the others to do the same.

Hyuuga just stared at Sayou, blinking in surprise. "Y-You're— G-Gah! You're Akashi Sayou, now Jinguji Sayou! One of the retired but renowned WNBA players!" He spluttered as he realized his mistake then bowed as well, rather stiffly, causing the older woman to blink but nonetheless smiled at the male's reactions.

"Yes, that's me alright. Oh and please, do call me 'Sayou-chan', alright?" The charming lady motioned them to stand straight and laughed a little. "I look younger than my age, after all!" To that, Riko was able to giggle at the note, leaving the guys confused but awe-struck. The older female patted Kamiko's head gently. "Have you come for a meal? I'll serve you the restaurant's special! It'll be on the house!"

"Is that alright?" Hyuuga asked.

"It's fine!" Sayou hurried them to a nearby long table that manages to seat the entire team as easily. "Miko-chan rarely brings friends over. One time, she brought over her team from middle school and such gluttons, I must say! I wouldn't know how Miko-chan put up with them," Sayou giggled, much to Kamiko's growing embarrassment. "I was even more surprised when I found out that her younger brother chose to attend Teiko, instead of Hanzo; hence, Miko-chan's bawling her eyes out every single time."

"Sayou-san!" Kamiko groaned.

Sayou laughed. "Okay, I know. I'll leave you children to talk while I prepare your meal. And no, stay where you are, Miko-chan," she told Kamiko sternly, noticing the sky-bluenette about to get up from her seat. "I'll take care of everything."

It took her awhile, trying to decide to stubbornly go against her wishes or just sit it out, she sighed. "Fine."

* * *

><p>Eventually, meals were served as the team simply cheered as it arrived on the table. Riko felt bad at having so much food being 'on the house', but Sayou simply refused to listen to the short brunette's protests.<p>

As so, the team was also quickly introduced to Kagami's peculiar eating ways.

"This is really good. Better than America's steak! Can I have seconds please?" Kagami asked, his mouth enlarged by the steak that he just stuffed in.

_'__He's stuffing his cheeks like a squirrel!' _Hyuuga thought in embarrassment. He wanted so much to protest that food on the house was too much, but to ask for seconds atop of it…

Sayou only laughed at the sight. "It's nice to see a healthy young man like yourself eat this much," she said, bringing another round of food to their table which Kagami began stuffing his mouth again. "Come to think of it…" She glanced at the sky-bluenette, who was eating like the redhead, but in a more proper way. "Miko-chan has no problems whatsoever!"

To that, the rest of the team, except Kagami, looked at the sky-bluenette, who was already in her third round.

"I-Impossible! For a girl, you eat like a guy! How can you even stay fit with that?" Koganei blinked in surprise as Kamiko paused to look up from her plate and faced him.

"Fast metabolism. I'm a guy stuck in this poor girl's body," She deadpanned as she resumed eating, with Riko and Hyuuga, even Izuki laughed at her short answer, as she obviously didn't want anyone to disturb her eating, who mumbled with 'Sayou-san, can I have seconds please?'

As the older woman left the table, Riko then nudged at Kamiko, who apparently gave the brunette a glare, but the short girl just ignored the look as she leaned in to whisper. "So what did the Kaijo captain want from you anyways?"

To that, the sky-bluenette choked on her food as Riko just snicker at her reaction. The sky-bluenette drank water then to choke in her food the right way and burped, excusing herself. Sighing, she then glanced at the brunette who had a rather smug smile on her face. "He called to congratulate me in person." The sky-bluenette looked back at her half-empty plate then. "Then he asked for my first name." To which, Riko squealed with glee, causing the other players to scoot far to the other side at her sudden change of mood.

"H-He likes you!" The brunette squirmed in her seat, as Kamiko winced at the sound of her high-pitch tone. "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Kagami chewed on his food—apparently the only one who didn't move from his spot when Riko squealed like a girl.

"That Kaijo captain! I knew it! He keeps glancing at her and he thought he wasn't obvious," Riko then makes a face as she was still practically jumping up and down on her seat, making Kamiko distancing herself from the coach and Kagami was still munching on his food, confused at the coach's words, causing the redhead to glance at the sky-bluenette who only shrugged.

Hyuuga then cleared his throat as he got back to his seat and the others did the same when Riko finally calm down a little. "Riko might have overreacted over such thing, but I did notice that Kasamatsu keeps glancing at you, bench and court." The four-eyed captain pointed it out, much to Kamiko's mild annoyance.

The sky-bluenette massaged her aching temple, avoiding her bandaged cut. She then pushed the chair as she stood up and left the restaurant as the rest of the team stayed inside to relax a little more before heading back. Kamiko sighed as she closed the door behind her and stopped in surprise as she saw Aomine standing outside, apparently waiting for her.

"A-Aomine?"

Aomine looked at her and nodded a bit. "Do you have a minute?" he asked.

* * *

><p>The two individuals ended up walking towards a park not too far from the restaurant. It is near sunset by then, and the park is nearly empty.<p>

"I heard about your practice match against Kaijo High," The tanned male said as he settled himself atop the back seat of a nearby bench. "How's your…" he took a quick glance at her bandaged forehead and sighed, silently vowing to kill Kise because of his carelessness. "… injury?"

"Oh, this? It's nothing serious." Kamiko reassured the blue-haired teenager. "So you've heard from Ryota then?"

Aomine looked at Kamiko then at the street court. "Yeah, he was profusely apologizing to me when he called earlier today, even mentioned that he's seen Midorima too." He leaned backwards a little too much to be safe.

The sky-bluenette looked a little surprised at this before she smiled a little. "Shinta-kun. The Generation of Miracles' number 1 shooter tsundere," to that, she giggled softly. "I hope he's well."

The blue-haired tanned male smiled at the sight of her smile and nodded stiffly. "He's currently attending Shutoku High." He paused before continuing. "Well, that's what Satsuki told me."

Kamiko glanced at the tanned male then as she placed her hand on her hip, facing him side-ways. "How did you even find me, Aomine?"

Aomine blinked as he leapt down onto the ground and scratched his nape nervously. "I might have… asked… well, I might have asked Kise where you would be…" he trailed off as he looked down, making him look adorable as she tried not to laugh at the sight before her.

"Gosh, you guys are stalkers, always knowing where I am and would be," she teased the male as his cheeks turned red and protested that it wasn't like that, but somehow, at him being in denial, she laughed as he was feeling annoyed at her poking fun at him. "I thought that was Sei's job—" She stopped midsentence as she looked at the blue-haired tanned male rather suspiciously, who looked pale at the mention of the former Teiko captain. "Did… Sei put you up to this?" The sky-bluenette gazed at him with blank eyes, the eyes that seemed to have no life into.

"N-No! You got it wrong!" Aomine began to fluster as he waved his hands rather wildly to make his point. "I really did ask Kise about your possible whereabouts, since I wanted to see you again myself," he spoke in a rush and blinked then blushed as he realized what he just said. "D-Damnit! I-It's—"

Kamiko blinked at his babble and covered her mouth in an attempt to keep herself from laughing at how comical he looked, but to no avail, she laughed then, causing the tanned male to blush more, going scarlet in embarrassment as he puts the tomato to shame.

"I-It's fine, Aomine." She managed to sober up from laughing too much, much to Aomine's relief. She crossed her arms loosely as she faced him fully then. "Why did you want to see me? Do you need something?"

Aomine was back to his normal self as he wrapped his head with his hands, looking straight at the street court then again. "I wanted to formally apologize, something that I should have done before."

And to that, Kamiko, who was tapping on her arm, stopped, as she heard what Aomine had said. She stayed silent for several moments.

* * *

><p>The Seirin team split up after their meal, though Riko was worried about Kamiko's sudden disappearance because of her head injury. Sayou reassured the coach however, telling her that Kamiko might be at the nearby convenience store where she usually gets her Pocari every after meal from the older female's restaurant.<p>

Riko wasn't satisfied at her answer but politely bowed as they went out of the restaurant, promising the owner that they would come back soon, much to Sayou's happiness. The coach then decided to go look for Kamiko, as the taller female looked rather annoyed at the coach's teasing earlier; thus, the entire team was roped into searching for her.

"Geez…" Kagami muttered in annoyance as he walked past a park in search for his surprisingly-strong teammate. The sounds of a basketball dribbling caught his attention, and he grinned. _'Street ball. It's been a while since I've seen that in Japan.' _The redhead was then taken aback as he spotted a familiar shade of blue hair through the fence, with an unfamiliar taller blue-haired tanned male with her.

* * *

><p>"If it's about what happened back in the Nationals, it wasn't your fault since I chose to take the blow for you," Kamiko said at last, causing Aomine to stare at her as he tries to comprehend what she was really saying. "But, the whole time, Hanamiya had already set his sights on me since the beginning so the blow that was supposedly for you was solely for me."<p>

"But if I wasn't too careless, this wouldn't have reached to this point!" the tanned male protested. "I got…" His voice lowered then. "… carried away and that was stupid of me."

She shook her head. "What's done is already done." She then chuckled dryly as she played with the tight hem of her spandex. "Since you or any of you weren't at fault, there's nothing to forgive in the first place."

Aomine looked at her, who was still focused on her arm spandex, then sighed as he decided to drop that and proceeded to another reason he wanted to see her. "Ever since 2nd grade, the duel in the park that's similar to this," he paused before continuing then. "When I unexpectedly won against you that time, I was somehow… ecstatic about it. Having to keep the end of the deal was a burden and a blessing as it turned out."

Kamiko was still listening, unmoving and he took this gesture as one that made him continue. "When I heard that we're up against this… _'Raging Goddess'_ of the Uncrowned Kings from Hanzo Juniour High, curiosity killed the cat. It was eventually then when I immediately recognized you at the court during _that _day that I couldn't sit still." Aomine paused again. "I was surprised at first when you left the gym so quickly _that_ day when Satsuki was trying to change your mind into eating with us when you brought Maji's takeouts." The tanned male glanced at the occupied court. "I knew it was you. I just knew, but I had to wait a little longer before we finally faced against each other in the Nationals."

Kamiko closed her eyes for a moment as she gripped on her right arm unconsciously. She couldn't believe he's held on the deal for so long, and thought at first that is was all just made up, but once she saw his excited expression as he told the tale and such gaze fell on hers, her chest ached.

_Do you… want to deal this on your own? Or do you need my help?_

The sky-bluenette just shook her head at Akkiko's question as an answer and Akkiko kept shut til' then.

"Aomine…"

"But you know what the sad thing is?" Aomine ignored her interruption as he continued then again. "I thought you didn't remember me." A sharp stab somehow struck through her chest, aching it more. "At the Nationals, I mean, and even the time we ran into each other. I couldn't just give up because of that, even after you told me that you did remember me… and it was the first time after so many years that you called me by my first name…"

The atmosphere was heavy, despite the cool weather.

"Oh I almost forgot. Satsuki suggested that I should give you something that might cheer you up somehow, despite my telling her that it wasn't entirely needed," the tanned male then rampaged in his bag as he brought out a small penguin stuff toy, catching the sky-bluenette in surprise. "I-I was told you love penguins so I skipped practice to find you a stuff toy like this." Kamiko blinked, staring at the blushing mumbling Aomine as he walked closer just then and clipped the small stuff toy on her duffel bag, a white and black color against the white, black, red of her duffel bag.

Aomine then glanced at Kamiko, who seemed like she was in a daze and sighed as he closed his bag then. "Take it as a token; a token for the deal, if you will," Kamiko then looked up at the taller male as he leaned down to sweet quick kiss her forehead, a surprisingly sweet gesture of his and her honey-glazed eyes widened.

"Get well soon, Miko. I look forward for another one-on-one like the last time."

He whispered and to that, he left, leaving her happy, confused, guilty, and worried; not about the match—since she knew that they would facing the former Ace of Teiko in the near future—but about his feelings.

"I didn't know…" Kamiko was watching him go. "… that he can be a sweet guy under all that egoistic facade of his."


	7. ASDF D:

Hello again, _minna-san!_ Unfortunately, this is only another Author's note. T_T I'm sorry, first of all, for getting your hopes up, when you thought this is another story update!

Anyways! Just to let you know in advance, I might be unable to update ASAP in the later weeks. Yes, graduation is around the corner and we're all catching up with our thesis projects and assignments in order to avoid summer classes and move forward. It sucks because this 2015 year, there are a lot of new episodes of my favorite animes being released and I can't watch them until this hell of a semester is finally finished!

*mutters under my breath* I need to keep myself together. I can still wait. (|o3o|) D'X

But! But! But! I'll post one more chapter today- more like a filler kind of chapter. In Chapter 6, we noticed how Kasamatsu Yukio finally recalled meeting Karadai Kamiko around the time when Kaijo High failed to win in the Inter High preliminaries. I think most of you might wonder what really happened about how Kasamatsu met Kamiko, so I though I'd make a filler chapter about it. It's pretty short, but I hope you like it nonetheless!

More follows, reviews, favorites for this story, more updates to come! **ARIGATO GOZAIMASU**, minna-san, for taking your time to read this story! :D

**Love lots, D.J.~**


	8. How Kasamatsu first met Kamiko

_"If I haven't missed that pass, we would have won…"_

_A Kaijou player then slammed the locker in frustration as he leaned against it then and felt his composure falling apart, feeling his tears running like a river from his eyes._

_Since Kaijo High School lost at the preliminaries of the Inter High, the juniours shed their tears as their dream was shattered all because of one miss pass. Losing by only one point really hurt them. They had a chance to turn the game over but everything went wrong because of Kasamatsu Yukio's miss pass._

_"Should we go get him, Moriyama?" Kobori Koji, hearing a loud yet muffled sound of a slammed locker, nudged his teammate, who was just about to shoot some rounds to at least forget the defeat even for a short while then._

_"Leave him be, Kobori," Moriyama Yoshitaka sighed, and for once, all playfulness in the latter was gone. The Kaijo shooting guard picked up the ball, and stood up then, dribbling his way to the court. "He needs it more than we do."_

_Hayakawa Mitsuhiro was standing against the wall, with arms loosely crossed across his chest, and for once, he spoke without getting all fired up or even talking too fast. "I hope Kasamatsu-san's alright."_

_Not that the rest of Kasamatsu's teammates were unfazed about their defeat, but they were more worried for Kasamatsu then. They knew where to butt in when it's needed, especially when the blow of that defeat hit Kasamatsu Yukio the hardest out of all of them._

* * *

><p><em>"You called me in, Coach?"<em>

_The shortest Kaijou player stepped into the lockers then, finding Takeuchi Genta in a chair, looking as if he's been in deep thought. Just a while ago as he was bawling his eyes out, he thought of quitting basketball as he saw himself unfit to even help the team to victory after the preliminaries defeat. When he was told that Coach had called him in something important, he thought he'd tell the portly man that he'd quit basketball then._

_"Ah, Kasamatsu. Yes, I did." The portly man had a solemn face on as he was leaning against the back rest of his chair, motioning for Kasamatsu to come closer._

_"Coach, I was thinking—"_

_"I'm making you the team's captain, Kasamatsu."_

_Kasamatsu's steel blue eyes widened at their coach's sudden resolve, looking at him as if the portly man just made the worst decision in his entire life. 'I've led the team to its downfall. I'm not fit to even take responsibility of a leader. I'm the worst!' "B-But Coach! I'm not fit to be part of the team, much less be the leader of the team! I'm quitting."_

_Genta glanced at the shaking player, who was doing his best to keep his cool together. "Losers learn from their mistakes and move forward to become better." The man gave the surprised teen a small smile as the said man stood up from his chair, not facing the teen player. "We learn and we move forward. We motivate ourselves more and you're the man for the job." The portly man turned his heel towards the door, but before he stepped out of the room, he glanced at the teen player._

_"There's no way I'm letting you quit. Who's going to help me keep our players in line?"_

_To that, the portly man left, leaving Kasamatsu in his thoughts._

_Losers learn from their mistakes and move forward to become better._

* * *

><p><em>It was almost dark out when he realized that his teammates left him a new basketball in the court, for the sake of cheering their friend and teammate up. Kasamatsu sighed and smiled as a little as he tucked the new ball under his arm, with his duffel bag already hanging on his other shoulder then. Closing the doors of the gym behind him, he decided to walk home then, tired of the many events that happened that day.<em>

_Just on his way home, he caught sight of a street court then, fairly lit by the surrounding street lamps then. Thinking of cooling off, he walked towards the court then, distinctively hearing the sounds of a ball rebounding against the board of the goal. The steel blue-eyed teenager approached the steps of the stairs, soon seeing a sky-bluenette standing in the court, whose back was on him, wearing a black man tank top with white loose jeans._

_'A girl? I've never seen a girl like her before, much less a girl who plays a game like basketball.'_

_The sky-bluenette dribbled the ball then as her knees were slightly bent in position. She dribbled the ball from her right to left then vice versa as Kasamastu just stood there by the wired fence, watching the girl do her thing. The sky-bluenette did a swift sprint towards the goal as she made to jump to make a loop shot then, yet as she hooked her right arm in the ready, she hissed as she felt her arm twitch in a slight angle before the ball left her hand, hitting the rim instead, bouncing aimlessly as she touched ground._

_'She's… fast! I could barely see her movements. T-That was supposed to be a perfect hook shot!' Kasamatsu gaped at the miss shot as the girl touched ground and caught the ball with her left hand before it hits the wired fence._

_Just about then, it rained heavily as he was fumbling on an umbrella from his bag then. In time, his upper body was half-soaked but at the moment he didn't care. The girl he saw then was unmoving from her spot, having to be completely drenched by the heavy rain. He still couldn't make out her face since she was looking down, but his gut is telling him that the said girl had her bad day, if not worse._

_As the girl lifted her head to look at the basket, he felt his chest clench in unfamiliar pain, seeing the distraught look on her face as she took a short leap for the aim with the ball in her right hand. Even before the ball could leave her hand, Kasamatsu saw her right hand—no, her right arm twitch and the ball hit the board beside the hoop._

_Kasamatsu, without realizing it himself, dropped his bag and ball, even his umbrella as he heard faintly pained whimpers from the girl. He has no idea how to console a girl; heck he doesn't even know how to talk to one without stuttering! But, there's one fact: judging from her performance just now, she must have her day worse than his. He found himself walking away from the wired fence as he moved towards the girl, grabbing her gently by her left arm._

_"Miss—"_

_"Go away! Leave me alone!" The sky-bluenette shouted at him through tear-filled eyes and Kasamatsu was taken aback. Other than the fact that she was just mere inches shorter than him and was actually pretty up close, he was more taken aback at how she responded then. 'She has it worse, huh…'_

_The sky-bluenette was profusely rubbing her wet eyes with her damp sleeveless shirt neckline. "They're lying. I don't believe them…" The girl picked the ball by her foot, holding it in her right hand that is starting to tremble. "I can still play…" Her voice, hoarse from crying, started to waver, "I can still play the way I used to! I'll just have to prove them wrong!"_

_At the sight alone, it almost broke his heart to see the unknown girl like this. Somehow, he was in the similar situation as she is now. He started to lose hope, but someone weaved the hope that was thought lost back to him and he decided not to let the person down again. The girl before him… she's starting to lose hope. He couldn't really understand what situation she's in right now, but he's understood the pain in it a bit. Kasamatsu gave a light sigh as he slowly held the ball that was resting in her hand, causing the girl to look up, carefully watching his movements as a pair of steel blue eyes clashed with a pair of honey-glazed orbs._

_"I may not understand the situation you're in right now…" he slowly began. "… but I understand the pain in it a little." He was still holding the ball then, but slowly withdrew his hands with the ball from her hand as she was still looking at him, unmoving. He gave a frown then. "You're injured… right?"_

_To that, the sky-bluenette's eyes widened just a slight fraction before composing herself rather quickly as she straightened her posture with a hand on her hip. "So you've been watching me." It was a statement, not a question, but he didn't care a bit as he was caught red-handed in the first place after all. The rain lessened but it was still present, as two strangers were completely soaked by then. The girl caught sight of his jersey jacket then, finally facing the male. "Kaijou High? The one who lost in the preliminaries because of a miss pass?"_

_Kasamatsu flinched just slightly, but she caught note of it quickly. The sky-bluenette sighed lightly as she faced the basket once more. "Everybody makes mistakes since no one is really perfect. We can only just… learn from it and move on, I guess," she said, trying to convince herself more than the teenage guy before her._

_She knew in herself that it's a lie. How can she move forward when she was told that she can no longer play basketball like she used to? Telling her not to play is as good as telling her not to breathe. She loved basketball more than anything in the world. She'd be as good as dead if she is prevented to play the one thing that she cherished the most._

_The male's eyes widened at her words, remembering the words that his coach told him earlier that day when he was named captain of his team._

_We learn and we move forward. When we fall, we just have to get up. No matter how many times, get up on your feet and move forward. That's how we motivate ourselves to do better and better, in and out of court._

_"You're right," he softly agreed, the tone in which caught her attention as she turned to face him once more, tilting her head in curiosity. "Despite how many times you fall, you just have to get up on your feet and move forward." The steel blue-eyed teen glanced at the sky-bluenette, whose features were softened with innocence and curiosity, one that was far different from her distraught look earlier. "Learning never ends."_

_The sky-bluenette faced him fully and the dark-spikey haired male, with the ball already tucked under his arm, blinked at her figure. She was really fit. Her tank top wasn't all fitted, but he could clearly make out the shape of her curves then. Her white pants are a bit baggy as well, but it looked really good on her. Her muscles are firm at the right places. The sky-bluenette's face was heart-shaped then; honey-glazed eyes; flushed cheeks; cute nose; her pressed lips. Overall, she looked too perfect._

_"Why do you play basketball?"_

_"Huh?" 'Why is she asking me that all of a sudden?'_

_The sky-bluenette smiled a little, an expression that he's seen for the first time, making him wonder such an expression could actually light up her whole face. "Is it because you are good it? Is it because you just want to win? Is it because you have something that no one else has?" She paused, glancing at the male who looked surprised. "Is it worth letting one loss make you give up your reason to play in the first place?" The sky-bluenette lightly shrugged as she looked at her open left palm then and if there's such thing as being more confused, then the male was even more confused at her words. "Those were the questions that kept me thinking the whole time I was staying in the hospital…" She briefly glanced at the male, who looked like he was about to interrupt but she just ignored him as she continued. "I… was asked once before… the reason why I play basketball." She paused as she saw the rain stopped. "I play basketball because… I love it. I love the game ever since I can remember. It's the only thing that keeps me alive. For me, playing basketball is the same as breathing."_

_"If that's what basketball is to you, if you love basketball that much, you're not thinking of quitting are you?"_

_That caused the sky-bluenette to look at the steel blue-eyed Kaijou player, considering his question then, as she was silent for several moments. "I thought of it," she admitted at last, causing the male to raise a brow. "I remembered considering on quitting basketball right before the National championships."_

_"Why?"_

_She just let out a rather humorlessly laugh, causing the male to be more confused. Was it something he said? He doesn't think his question was anything near funny, at all._

_"People I thought I knew have come to hate it, hate the game they used to love so much." The sky-bluenette mused lightly without humor at all. "I was too naïve to think that the said passion would stay burning despite how time would fly by, but eh, people's feelings are meager, changing. Such things wither before we realize it ourselves." She paused to take a quick breath before she continued. "I'm not surprised if you thought of quitting basketball, though. For instance, like what happened in your match."_

_The steel-blue eyed teen can only stay silent at her blunt remark. She was right, though he wouldn't know how she knew that he had thought of quitting basketball then. He must be that transparent to see through, huh?_

_"Defeat is one thing. It's somehow… refreshing to experience defeat once in a while. It's one of the things that would make you realize that you're still learning and like you said is right. Learning never ends."_

_And that caught him in surprise. Here… her, as he thought that she was losing hope… she's basically the one reassuring him, giving a new hope to hold onto. It's strange in a way, and like she said, it is refreshing. Wait, it is actually strange. He realized that he wasn't stuttering or even nervous around this unknown girl. How is she different from the others? She IS a girl, too, right? Why is there… a calming feeling in his chest as he was conversing with this girl?_

_"I better go. My best friend would kill me if I'll be late… well, I'll be damned. I'm already late anyway," the sky-bluenette mumbled as she hurriedly picked her basketball up from a corner and to her duffel bag then. The boy frowned at the short decent conversation, but at least, it was fruitful—he learned something that was more than worth as a motivation, even for himself. He sighed as he slumped his shoulders slightly, looking as if he was sulking that the conversation he had with the girl had to come to an abrupt end._

_As he turned his heel to get his stuff, he stopped._

_Actually, **he was stopped on his tracks**._

_He was stopped on his tracks when he felt a pair of unfamiliar slender arms wrapped around his waist, around him, as if he was to stay put. Though, he was too frozen to move; too shocked to even move a centimeter. The boy felt the sky-bluenette bury her face on his back as she tightened the wrap a bit, eventually hearing her muffled sniffs on his back._

_"Thanks for listening to me…"_

_His steel blue eyes widened when he heard her muffled thank-you. Her arms gradually loosened just a little as she finds herself straightening her posture then as he turned to face her._

_"S-Shall I see you soon?"_

_The moment that these words came tumbling out of his mouth, he blushed and looked away as he was cursing to himself silently and that sight alone made her giggle softly, causing him to glance at her, wondering what made her giggle._

_"Soon is indefinite, but yes, soon," was her gentle answer and he huffed with a small smile. "I really have to go then…"_

_"A-Ah! Yeah, sure. Alright, wait… your name… I don't know…" he sounded unsure, looking embarrassed all of a sudden._

_The sky-bluenette, her duffel bag hanging on her left shoulder with the ball tucked under her right arm, tilted her head at the male teenager. 'He's a hopeless duffos when it comes to talking to girls, huh…?' she mused to herself as she shook her head in amusement. Should she play with him just a bit?_

_"Well," she pretended to think as she emphasized it with a thinking pose. "It's for me to know and for you find out for yourself!" The girl chuckled at his redness then, the boy looking as if he was drowned in his own world, in his embarrassment. Just to wake him up, she leaned to kiss him gingerly on the side just near his lips, apparently jolting him awake from his dreamland, feeling a soft cool kiss dangerously near to his lips. As soon as he realized that, he backed away a little too fast, bumping his back against the wired fence by then, looking at the girl as if she was an alien in horror._

_The girl giggled softly. "That's my formal thanks, Senpai. See you soon."_

_To that, she dashed out of the court, leaving the male alone in his confused thoughts and feelings._

_As soon as she left him alone, his hand darted automatically on the side of his lips, still feeling the lingering sensation from her lips. He shook his head as he straightened himself to get his things. Well, he already cooled off in a way, though not through basketball, but still._

_'I have to bring my team up again. We're going to win the Inter High next year by proving my resolve and position as the new captain.' The boy looked towards the direction where the sky-bluenette routed as a relaxed smile finds its way to his lips. 'Thanks for fully opening my eyes towards a new hope, miss. I may not know your name now, but I do hope we'll meet each other soon.'_

_Little did he know…_

_They did meet again… as the Kaijo Captain and Seirin's one of Twin Aces.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>THIS IS THE FILLER I WAS TALKING ABOUT! So yeah. :D<strong>

**Don't worry, minna-san. I shall update soon! I hope not too long. xD**

**Love lots, D.J.~**


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